Pope Francis arrives in Iraq on historic visit

By Ibrahim Salih

BAGHDAD (AA) - Pope Francis on Friday arrived in the Iraqi capital Baghdad on a four-day official visit.

The state-run Al-Iraqiya TV broadcast live the landing of the pope’s plane.

He was received at the Baghdad International Airport by Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi and a large number of officials and clerics of Iraqi different religions and sects.

This is the first-ever visit of a pope of the Vatican to Iraq, and it is also the Pope's first foreign tour since the outbreak of the coronavirus.

*Writing by Mahmoud Barakat