Palestinian envoy Nabil Shaath paid a five-day official visit to Iraq recently, as the Palestinian Authority (PA) faces ruptured relations with the United States, a halt in negotiations with Israel and lukewarm Arab ties — especially with Arab countries supporting the controversial US plan for peace in the Middle East.

Shaath, who serves as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' adviser for international relations and head of the PLO’s Refugee Affairs Department, visited June 23-27 as part of the PA's campaign to strengthen its regional relations.

The PA's effort with Baghdad is twofold. First, Palestinians need Iraqi money to overcome their worsening financial crisis since the United States halted financial aid and Israel froze tax funds. Second, Iraq is politically and geographically close to Iran, which could allow the Palestinian leadership to widen its choices instead of having all its political eggs in a single basket. 

Shaath's visit was loaded with political symposiums and official meetings with different political parties and various leaders. On June 25, he held a press conference to discuss his visit’s objectives.