The visit comes after Iraq’s foreign minister and minister of interior held meetings in Doha last week.

Qatar and Iraq have agreed on reactivating economic cooperation between the two countries, Kuwait News Agency [KUNA] reported on Wednesday.

The move includes expanding investment opportunities in all projects that are consistent with the economic vision of the Iraqi government.

The latest development came after a visit by Qatar Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani’s to Iraq where he met with his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein as well as President Barham Salih.

The officials also discussed issues of common concern as well as bilateral relations between the two states. Maintaining Baghdad’s security was also high on the agenda.

“We’ve emphasised Qatar’s position in the regional cases, which we’ve discussed with the Iraqi officials,” Al-Thani said.

A source in Iraq’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Al-Thani also delivered a written message from Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, which included an official invitation to visit Doha.

The Baghdad visit comes a week after the Iraqi foreign minister made a trip to the Gulf state where the diplomats discussed joint efforts in working towards launching collective initiatives to preserve the security of the region. Hussein also encouraged Qatari companies to work in Iraq across various sectors.

Read also: Qatar condemns first major Baghdad attack since 2018

Qatar and Iraq hold strong bilateral relations.

In 2019, the economic cooperation saw a significant growth, with trade increasing from QR 226 million in 2016 to QR 472 million in 2018. At least 268 Qatari-Iraqi companies operate in the Gulf state.

Last year, Qatar also stepped in to calm heightened tensions in Iraq following a US drone strike that killed top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani and senior Iraq militia commander Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis.

“Qatar, together with some friendly countries, is trying to decrease the tension. We have made contacts internationally for more consultations with our allies,” said Qatar’s foreign minister at a press conference in January last year.

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