Iraq's Zaidi set to make European debut with Macron in France

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi is due to embark on his first official visit to Europe since taking office in May, with a meeting with France’s Emmanuel Macron scheduled for Sept. 14 in Paris, two regional officials have confirmed to Al-Monitor.

During the one-day meeting in the French capital, the sides are expected to sign several memorandums of understanding, said the sources, who requested anonymity. They gave no further details.

France, which has played a leading role in the US-led coalition against the Islamic State, has deep security ties with Iraq as well as significant investments in the energy sector.

The visit had initially been scheduled for an earlier date, soon after Zaidi’s meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House on July 13 and before the Iraqi premier’s July 28 meeting in Ankara with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. However, “technical issues” stood in the way, the sources said.