Government financial advisor: Al-Zidi’s visit to France and Germany carries an investment message to Europe
Government financial advisor: Al-Zidi’s visit to France and Germany carries an investment message to Europe
9-11-2026
The Prime Minister’s financial advisor, Mazhar Muhammad Salih, confirmed that Prime Minister Ali Falih al-Zaidi’s upcoming visit to France and Germany reflects Iraq’s orientation towards an investment partnership with Europe. Salih stated in a statement to the official agency that “the visit comes at an important economic time, and is in line with the transformations reflected by the G7 summit in Evian, France on June 16, 2026, particularly its orientation towards adopting the principle of long-term investment partnerships, encouraging joint investment, mobilizing private capital, and using guarantees, mixed financing, and risk-sharing to finance projects of strategic importance.”
He added that “the visit will carry a clear message that Iraq is not looking for funding as much as it is looking for a real investment partnership with Europe,” explaining that “Iraq has natural resources, a geographical location, a market and major projects, while European companies and institutions have capital, technology, experience and the ability to access global markets.” He continued that “what is required is to combine these advantages within joint projects that achieve a return for the investor and added value for the Iraqi economy,” noting that “the priority is to move from memoranda of understanding to feasible projects, by selecting a significant number of strategic projects, identifying investors and partners, the size of funding and guarantees, risk-sharing mechanisms, and setting clear timetables for financial closure and the start of implementation.”
Saleh explained that “at the forefront of these projects is the Development Road project, which is being presented to Europe as an integrated strategic economic corridor, and not just a railway and transportation project, including the Faw port, industrial and logistics zones, energy, communications and services,” stressing that “this project will be a model platform for joint Iraqi-European investment.”
He also noted that “the talks are expected to focus on energy, industry, petrochemicals, infrastructure, transportation and communications, with priority given to projects that transfer technology, create jobs and build value chains within Iraq, in accordance with the new principles adopted by the G7 since its conference in 2025, rather than being limited to contracting agreements or exporting raw materials.”
He also pointed out the importance of “priorities differing between Paris and Berlin, as the focus with France can be on energy, transport, infrastructure, water and technology, and with Germany on industry, energy, railways, equipment, industrial technology, training and knowledge transfer.”
He explained that “the most important goal of the visit is to agree on a joint Iraqi-European investment mechanism that brings together Iraqi capital, European and international financial institutions, European companies, and the Iraqi private sector, and uses guarantee and mixed financing tools to reduce risks and attract larger investments.”
Saleh stressed that “the success of the visit should not be measured by the number of agreements and memoranda of understanding, but rather by the number of projects that move to the final study, financial closure and then actual implementation.”
He noted that “Iraq has an opportunity to reformulate its economic relationship with Europe on a new basis, the title of which is: partnership, not aid; investment, not just financing; production, not imports; and creating value chains within Iraq, not just investing in its resources.”
He added that “the clearest message of the visit is that Iraq is not asking Europe to finance its future, but rather inviting it to invest with it in Iraq’s future.”
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