British Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosts his Iraqi counterpart Mohammed Shia al-Sudani on Tuesday for talks on trade, security and migration hailed by Baghdad as marking a "new era" for the countries' ties.

The Iraqi prime minister's visit to London, during which he will also meet King Charles III, comes more than 20 years after Britain took part in the US-led invasion of Iraq.

A "strategic partnership" to be signed during the trip would consolidate cooperation and be "one of the most important steps in relations between Iraq and the United Kingdom", Sudani told AFP during the flight from Baghdad.

The visit will see the start of talks on a returns agreement for Iraqi irregular migrants to the UK, Starmer's Downing Street office said.

The leaders will also unveil a £12.3 billion ($15 billion) export package to boost opportunities for British businesses, it added.

Immigration, both irregular and regular, was a........

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