Saudi King Salman hosts Iraq's new president
Saudi King Salman yesterday welcomed Iraq's new President Barham Saleh on his first official visit to the kingdom, amid a warming of ties between the Arab neighbours after years of strain.
The king hosted a lunch and "discussed regional developments" with Saleh, the official Saudi Press Agency said, after the Iraqi leader's arrival in Riyadh following a visit to Saudi Arabia's regional rival Iran.
An Iraqi official said Saleh, a 58-year-old moderate Kurd elected to the largely ceremonial role last month, was on an overnight visit at the invitation of the Saudi monarch.
Ties between Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia and Shia-majority Iraq have been looking up in recent months, after years of tense relations.
After former dictator Saddam Hussein's August 1990 invasion of Kuwait, Riyadh severed relations with Baghdad and closed its border posts with its northern neighbour.
But a flurry of visits in recent months between the two countries has indicated a thawing of ties.
In October 2017, Saudi budget airline flynas made the first commercial flight from Riyadh to Baghdad in 27 years.
Iraq is seeking economic benefits from closer ties with the wealthy kingdom as it seeks to rebuild after the defeat of the Islamic State (IS) group.
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