President Asif Ali Zardari will be undertaking an official visit to Iraq from December 20-24, during which he will hold high-level meetings with the Iraqi leadership to review bilateral ties and explore ways to strengthen cooperation in key areas of mutual interest, the Foreign Office (FO) said on Friday.

According to a statement issued by the FO, President Zardari is visiting the Middle Eastern country at the invitation of his Iraqi counterpart, Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid.

The visit underscores the “longstanding, brotherly relations between Pakistan and Iraq, rooted in shared bonds of faith, culture, and mutual respect”, the FO said.

It added that during his meetings with the Iraqi leadership, President Zardari will review bilateral relations between the two countries and explore ways to further strengthen cooperation across key areas of mutual interest, including trade and investment, energy, reconstruction, manpower, technology, education and people-to-people exchanges.

The discussions will also cover regional and international developments, as well as cooperation at multilateral forums, according to the FO statement.

“The visit is expected to reinforce the traditionally warm and cordial ties between the two countries, identify new avenues of partnership, and enhance people-to-people linkages, particularly in the context of religious tourism and economic collaboration.

“The official visit reflects Pakistan’s continued engagement with Iraq and its commitment to fostering a result-oriented, forward-looking, and strategic partnership that contributes to Iraq’s stability and development, as well as to regional peace and prosperity,” the statement said.