BAGHDAD (AFP)
King Abdullah II of Jordan held talks in Baghdad on Monday on the first visit to Iraq by an Arab head of state since the 2003 invasion.
The monarch went immediately on his arrival in the Iraqi capital into a meeting with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, officials said.
Discussions focused on "the way to improve bilateral relations in all fields" and were "frank and positive," a foreign ministry statement said.
A second statement released by Maliki's office hailed the ties between the neighbors.
"This visit will open a new page in relations between the two countries which will help to maintain the stability and security in Iraq and all the region," Maliki said.
For his part King Abdullah said that he "renewed his support to the Iraqi government and his support for the efforts to spread security stability and reconstruction."
"Jordan is ready to stand at the side of Iraq to realize the wish of the Iraqi people for security stability and prosperity."
King Abdullah and his delegation, which includes Prime Minister Nader Dahabi, had been expected to visit Iraq last month but his trip was delayed for what diplomatic sources in Amman had said were security reasons.
His visit was agreed during a visit to Amman by Maliki in June to renew a 2006 deal to sell discounted oil to its neighbor, which relies on Iraq for most of its fuel needs.
In the wake of that visit, Amman announced that it had appointed an ambassador to Baghdad where its embassy has been run by a charge d'affaires since it came under deadly attack in 2003.
Jordan kept its embassy in Baghdad open even after the mission was attacked, but it downgraded the level of its representation amid serious concerns about security.
The king's visit is seen as a step forward for Baghdad which is working to rebuild relations with its neighbors in the wake of the 2003 US-led.
Washington has been pushing its Arab allies, notably regional heavyweight Saudi Arabia, to send ambassadors and high-level officials to Baghdad to help shore up support for the country's Shiite leadership.
In 2004 King Abdullah warned against the emergence in Iraq of a pro-Iranian government that would promote a "Shiite crescent" bringing together Iran, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon -- a comment criticized by Iraqi officials.
The Sunni-ruled Arab monarchies of the region had been reluctant to upgrade ties with Iraq, not just because of insecurity in the country but also because of its Shiite-led government's perceived tilt toward non-Arab Shiite Iran.
The United States hopes that these countries will offer financial support to Iraq and counterbalance the influence of Iran, which US President George W. Bush has accused of negative interference in Iraqi affairs.
Jordan hosts between 500,000 and 750,000 Iraqi refugees who have fled violence in their war-torn country, and Amman has estimated the costs of sheltering them so far at more than two billion dollars. |
