Exclusive: Lebanese PM to visit Iraq for fuel talks

Shafaq News/ Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam is expected to visit Iraq in the coming days for talks on oil supplies, trade, and regional developments, sources told Shafaq News on Saturday.

The two-day visit will include meetings with senior Iraqi leaders to discuss the purchase of Iraqi oil at below-market prices, economic support for Lebanon, and cooperation on Syria and border security.

The talks will also address the war in Gaza and wider regional coordination, the sources said.

The visit follows an invitation from Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani to Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. The invitation was delivered on Wednesday by Nida Karim Mujul, Iraq’s chargé d’affaires in Beirut, according to Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA).

In March, Lebanon has reached an agreement with Iraq to renew its oil import contract, switching from fuel oil to crude oil, despite Iraq’s frustration with Lebanon over its continued refusal to release payments owed for fuel shipments provided to keep its power plants operational.

Lebanon’s banking sector collapse and depleting foreign reserves have severely limited its ability to import fuel, causing rolling blackouts and crippling public services. Iraq’s oil could help Lebanon run its power plants, reducing its reliance on the black market.