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| Iraq | ||
| Iraqi PM in Jordan for political, oil talks | ||
| 2008-06-13 | ||
| AMMAN - Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki arrived in Jordan on Thursday for talks with King Abdullah II and senior officials on political and oil ties. Maliki, at the head of a delegation including the interior, oil, finance and planning ministers, held talks with the king on "bilateral and regional issues," the palace said in a statement. "Jordan supports Iraqi government plans to enhance the political process and preserve Iraq's unity, stability and security," it quoted the king as telling Maliki. "Strong relations between Iraq and the rest of the Arab world are key to restoring Iraq's role in the region."
His two-day visit comes after Jordan said it would appoint an ambassador to Iraq and after Baghdad said it would review a discounted oil deal for Amman, which depends on its neighbour for most of its fuel needs. Jordan said in May that it would soon designate a new ambassador for Iraq where its embassy, which came under deadly attack in August 2003, is run by a charge d'affaires. Iraqi Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi said last month that Baghdad is to review a 2006 agreement to sell discounted oil to Jordan amid soaring world prices. Iraq agreed in August 2006 to provide Jordan with between 10 and 30 percent of its daily oil needs of around 100,000 barrels at a preferential price starting from September of that year, but deliveries by road began a year late. Jordan increased fuel prices on Tuesday by almost 10 percent, the fifth such rise in as many months amid skyrocketing world prices.
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| Posted by:Steve White |