Iraq
The month of April was characterized by the week-long visit of an Iraqi delegation to Washington, attended by Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, Deputy Prime Minister Mohammed Ali Tamim, as well as the Ministers of Oil, Finance, Trade, and Electricity, along with the Central Bank President. This was the Iraqi Prime Minister's first visit to the United States since taking office in 2020. His first meeting was with President Joe Biden. The two leaders discussed expanding the collaboration between Iraq and the U.S. beyond the existing military alliance and emphasized the significance of dialogue during such a critical time for the region. Al-Sudani noted that the fight against ISIS has been crucial in strengthening the partnership between the two countries, despite Baghdad's recent request to withdraw from the international coalition against Daesh. The leaders discussed ways to revive economic and energy cooperation, specifically focusing on Iraq's efforts towards energy independence, resuming oil exports to Turkey, and developing the Development Road project with Gulf countries. The Iraqi Prime Minister also met with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. During their discussion, Al-Sudani reiterated that the strategic agreement with Washington serves as a roadmap for the future of relations between the two countries. Finally, the Prime Minister met with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who announced the launch of the Higher Coordination Committee (HCC), an Iraqi-American partnership to assess Iraq's military readiness and the risks posed by ISIS in the region. Blinken also met with the Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister. He emphasized that the U.S. do not seek escalation in the Middle East and urged Iraq not to fuel hostilities with Tehran. However, Blinken also reaffirmed Washington's commitment to ensuring the security of its personnel in the region and its support for Israel's defense.
In this context, the Iraqi Ministry of Defense announced an agreement with the United States to purchase 41 combat aircraft. According to a statement from the ministry, payment for the jets will be made through a 'flexible plan' over the coming years. Following the agreement, an Iraqi delegation visited General Dynamics, one of the leading U.S. companies in military hardware production. Despite ongoing tensions, particularly related to the presence of U.S. troops in Iraq, Prime Minister Al-Sudani's visit appears to signal Baghdad's intention to embark on a new phase of relations with Washington, covering sectors beyond security.
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Defence Minister Crosetto’s visit to Iraq was an opportunity to reaffirm Italy’s political-military commitment and to discuss new forms of economic cooperation
On 10 October Iraq held elections for the renewal of its parliament: results and future challenges of the new government.
| Head of state | Abdul Latif Rashid |
| Head of Government | Muhammad Shia al Sudani |
| Institutional Form | Federal parliamentary republic |
| Capital | Baghdad |
| Legislative Power | Council of Representatives (Majlis an-Nuwwab al-Iraqiyy, 329 members) |
| Judicial Power | Supreme Federal Court (9 judges); Cassation Court (composed of one Court President, 5 Vice-president and 24 judges) |
| Ambassador to Italy | Saywan Sabir Mustafa Barzani |
| Total Area kmq | 438,317 km2 |
| Land | 437.367 km2 |
| Weather | Hot, arid and subtropical |
| Natural resources | Petroleum, phosphates, natural gas and agriculture |
| Economic summary | The economy is mainly based on the extraction and sale of oil, attracting a lot of foreign investment. Some other activities are pastoralism and agriculture; however, the growing climate crisis has exacerbated the agricultural sector, which doesn’t have enough water to irrigate the fields. |
| GDP | $208 billion (Dec. 2021) |
| Pro-capite GDP (Purchasing power parity) | $4466 (Dec. 2021) |
| Exports | $58.3 billion (2020) |
| Export partner | China 29.1%, India 24.8%, Türkiye 14%, South Korea 6.48%, Italy 3.89% (2020) Imports: $46.7 billion (2020) |
| Imports | $46.7 billion (2020) |
| Import partner | UAE 28.1%, China 23.4%, Türkiye 19.6%, India 3.12%, Italy 1.32% (2020) |
| Trade With Italy | $ 4,74 billion (2021) |
| Population | 40.462.701 (2022 est.) |
| Population Growth | 2% (2022) |
| Ethnicities | Arabs 75-80%, Kurds 15-20%, others 5% |
| Languages | Arabic (official), Kurdish (official), Turkmen (a Turkish dialect), Syriac (Neo-Aramaic) and Armenian in majority areas |
| Religions | Islamic (official) 95-98% (Shia 55-60%, Sunni about 40%), Christian 1%, other 1-4% |
| Urbanization | 71,4% (2022) |
| Literacy | 85,6% |
Independent since 1932, when the Hashemite monarchy took full control of the country, and a republic since 1958, Iraq borders with Turkey to the north, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait to the south, Syria and Jordan to the west, and Iran to the east. To the southeast, for a brief tract, it overlooks the Persian Gulf. Its population is over 40 million and its official languages are Arabic and Kurdish, although large minorities speak Turkish and Assyrian languages as their first language.
From an ethnic and religious perspective, Iraq is a very diverse country, with a large Shia community, which represents the relative majority of the population, as well as sizeable Kurdish, Christian and Yazidi minorities, and a significant presence of Sunnis.
In recent times, after the end of a bloody war against Iran (1980-1988), the country has been the theatre of the two Gulf Wars, in 1991 and 2003. After the fall of regime of President Saddam Hussein, the country has undergone a long and complex transition. Its political stability has often been threatened both by sectarian tensions and conflicts between Shias and Sunnis, as well as by the presence of extremist organizations including, most recently, the Islamic State. While this has had detrimental effects on the economic recovery of the country, today Iraq is continuing on the path to democracy.
Despite its economic problems, Iraq is one of the main oil producers in the world. In 2021 Iraq-Italy trade reached $ 4,74 billion. The two countries co-operate in various sectors, especially energy and also work together on infrastructure projects, the protection and conservation of cultural heritage, and the training of local military personnel.
