Source:

In Baghdad. 
Dmytro Kuleba, the foreign minister of Ukraine, is scheduled to arrive in Baghdad on Monday for the first time since Russia invaded his nation, according to the foreign ministry.

According to a statement released by the ministry on Sunday, Kuleba will meet with both Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Sudani and Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein.

They would talk about "improving bilateral ties as well as regional and international" matters, according to the announcement, which cited Ahmed al-Sahhaf, a spokesperson for the foreign ministry.

Less than a week after Sudani received a call from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Kuleba paid him a visit.

At the time, Zelenskyy said he was "keen to develop relations with Iraq in all fields" describing it as "a pivotal and influential country," according to a statement from Sudani's office.

Iraq maintains good economic ties with both Kyiv and Moscow and has adopted a neutral stance since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

In February this year, the Iraqi foreign minister reiterated Baghdad's support for a cease-fire and negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, during a visit to Baghdad by his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov.

Iraq has hosted a raft of foreign officials in recent months and witnessed intense diplomatic activity, including several rounds of reconciliation talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

The regional powerhouses unexpectedly announced in March that they had reached a diplomatic agreement in a deal mediated by China.

After Iranian demonstrators attacked Saudi diplomatic posts in the Islamic Republic in 2016, following the Saudi murder of renowned Shiite preacher Nimr al-Nimr, Riyadh severed ties with Tehran.