LONDON

Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani (front L), followed by Iraq’s Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein (front C), leaves 10 Downing Street, in central London, on Jan. 14, 2025 after their meeting with Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Iraq‘s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani met on Jan. 14 with his U.K. counterpart, Keir Starmer, securing a £12.3 billion ($15 billion) trade and investment package during a visit hailed as a “new era” in ties.

The Iraqi leader’s trip to London, during which he also met King Charles III, focused on security, migration and infrastructure, with the two leaders agreeing a strategic “defence relationship” to deepen cooperation.

It comes more than 20 years after Britain took part in the U.S.-led invasion which left the country reeling from conflict for years.

Starmer – who entered Downing Street last July – is eager to reset ties with a host of capitals, from Beijing to Brussels, and keen to seal any deals to boost Britain’s ailing economy.

“The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the vision of a prosperous, sovereign Iraq through a new partnership focused on trade and investment,” a UK-Iraq joint statement said after Tuesday’s meeting.

“The prime ministers signed a landmark Partnership & Cooperation Agreement (PCA), a wide-ranging treaty on trade and strategic cooperation and agreed a trade package worth up to £12.3 billion,” it added.

That is more than 10 times the total value of U.K.-Iraq bilateral trade last year.

It contained U.K.-led mega infrastructure projects such as removing mines across Iraq left after decades of war and unrest, water and sewerage improvements and desalination in areas such as southern Basra as well as interconnecting the Iraqi and Saudi power grids.