“During our discussion, we touched on issues of the region and bilateral relations, and also studied how to deal with the financial dues of Russian companies in Iraq,” Fuad Hussein said in a joint press conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Baghdad.
“We will have a visit to Washington next Wednesday, and we will discuss cooperation with Russian companies,” he added.
Lavrov arrived in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad on Sunday. He met with different Iraqi officials, including Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani on Monday.
The delegation accompanying Lavrov included several companies working in oil and gas as well other sectors, seeking to bolster Baghdad-Moscow relations in various sectors, the Iraqi foreign ministry spokesperson told Rudaw on Sunday.
Lavrov’s visit comes at a time where an Iraqi delegation, headed by Hussein, is set to travel to Washington this week to discuss the recent fluctuation in the dinar-dollar exchange rates.
The exchange rate of one USD reached 1,750 IQD in the currency markets of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region on Thursday, continuing the massive depreciation of the Iraqi currency in recent months.
In his meeting with PM Sudani, Lavrov expressed “Russia's keenness on Iraq's security and stability, and its praise for Iraq's efforts in combating terrorism, and its pioneering role in easing tensions in the region,” read a statement from the PM’s office.
Iraq and the Kurdistan Region share close economic ties with Russia as a number of Russian oil companies operate both in the Kurdistan Region and in oilfields in southern Iraq.
Gazprom and Rosneft’s operations in the Kurdistan Region have continued as normal and have not been affected despite Baghdad’s pressure campaign on international oil companies (IOCs) working in the Region following a ruling by the Iraqi top court against the Region’s oil and gas law.
