Joint statement by Al-Sudani and Starmer: historic partnership deal worth £12.3 billion

Joint statement by Al-Sudani and Starmer: historic partnership deal worth £12.3 billion
2025-01-14 16:51

Shafaq News/ Iraqi Prime Minister Mohamad Shia Al-Sudani and his British counterpart Keir Starmer announced on Monday, in a joint statement, the signing of agreements covering trade, industry, and security.

The most notable of these is a £12.3 billion commercial package, which includes mine clearance, the rehabilitation of military bases, and water and electricity projects.

Al-Sudani's media office, in a statement received by Shafaq News, said, "The two prime ministers reiterated their commitment to supporting a prosperous and sovereign Iraq through a new partnership focused on trade and investment, deepening educational and cultural ties, and addressing challenges related to security, migration, and climate change."

The value of the agreement is more than ten times the total bilateral trade between the UK and Iraq last year.

Key areas covered by the agreements include trade, economy, investment, defense, water, electricity, telecommunications, combating organized crime, education, migration, and the environment.

British private sector experts will rehabilitate the Qayyarah airbase, providing Iraq with aerial defense coverage.

The package also includes the Basra Water Project, which aims to establish large-scale infrastructure for water desalination and treatment plants, providing clean water to three million Iraqis in southern and western Iraq.

 

00:00
00:00
Shafaq Live
Radio radio icon