Iraqi officials from finance and foreign affairs ministries will visit Egypt within the next few days to negotiate outstanding Egyptian labor and business dues, Egyptian foreign ministry official Mohamed Qassim said.
Qassim said Iraq’s debts to Egypt total US$1.8 billion. The US$900 million debt strictly for Egyptian labor is non-negotiable, according to Qassim.
Qassim said, through recent meetings with officials, he gathered that Egypt is the only nation trusted by Iraqis. That trust is evidenced by the inauguration of the new Egyptian consulate in Arbil, located in Iraq's Kurdish region. The consulate is scheduled to open in December.
Kurdish officials requested a larger Egyptian presence as counterbalance to the growing power of both Iran and Turkey in the region, according to the Qassim, who added that the Kurdish prime minister will visit Egypt late this month.
Speaking about the designation of Baghdad as the location for the upcoming Arab summit, despite security concerns, Qassim said Iraqis need their country to host the event to feel assured the Arab world supports their cause.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
