German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas arrived in Baghdad on Saturday for talks with Iraqi officials on bilateral relations and tensions in the Middle East region, according to Iraq’s foreign ministry.
HE IS EXPECTED TO VISIT IRAN
The top German diplomat is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi and President Barham Salih during his visit. Maas is expected to visit Iran on Monday for talks with his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif, according to a spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry.
The diplomat’s current tour will also include the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Jordan.
Maas’ visit comes amid rising tension between the US and Iran since 2017, when Washington withdrew from a landmark nuclear agreement between Tehran and the P5+1 group of nations (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany).