Iraqi premier to visit India, main Iraqi oil importer

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki is due to start later on Thursday a four-day visit to India in response to an invitation from his counterpart Manmohan Singh to discuss cooperation in sectors of energy and combating crime. A government statement, issued on Thursday, said Al-Maliki would discuss during the visit with the premier, as well as the president of the republic, establishing cooperation at the political, economic levels, coordination in the sectors of security, combating terrorism, energy and oil. The prime minister, to be accompanied by the ministers of agriculture and health, the head of the Iraqi Investment Authority, advisors and businessmen, is also scheduled to meet a number of senior Indian officials, businessmen and conglomerates' owners. Iraq is one of the major suppliers of crude oil to India, reportedly exporting 220,000 barrels of oil per day to Indian Oil Corporation. In June, 2013, Foreign Minister of India, Mr. Salman Khurshid visited Iraq regarding security and business issues, the first to do so since 1990.