ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani on Friday told his Netherlands counterpart that Baghdad welcomes Dutch investment, especially in infrastructure reconstruction and agriculture.
Sudani met with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte in New York during the United Nations General Assembly. They discussed cooperation between Iraq and Netherlands and doubling down on their economic partnership.
“The prime minister emphasized that the Iraqi investment environment is open and welcoming to Dutch companies, recognizing their potential as valuable contributors to Iraq's infrastructure reconstruction endeavors,” read a statement from Sudani’s office.
The two leaders also discussed the establishment of a joint council that would focus on agriculture and water resource management. “Iraq expressed its keen interest in harnessing Dutch knowledge in addressing the impacts of climate change and advancing renewable energy efforts,” the statement read.
Speaking to Rudaw’s Diyar Kurda, Rutte said that his country has “cordial” relations with both Iraq and the Kurdistan Region and that Netherlands will do “whatever it can in making sure that the country stays stable.”
“I’m happy to see and very proud of what UN is doing also in Iraq, of course, the government and also the northern part of Iraq [Kurdistan Region] that seem to be much better at the moment than only let’s say a few years ago,” Rutte said.
Rutte also invited Sudani to visit Natherlands “for further discussions on potential areas of cooperation, to meet with business leaders and representatives of Dutch companies,” according to the Iraqi statement.
