Petra News Agency
Saturday, September 10, 2005
Prime Minister Concludes Visit to Iraq
Amman/Sep.10(Petra)-- Prime Minister Adnan Badran returned to Amman Saturday after a visit to Baghdad during which he held talks with his Iraqi counterpart Ibrahim AL Jaafari and Iraqi First Vice President Adel Abdel Mahdi focusing on ways to cement bilateral relations, particularly in economic, trade, and security fields. The talks also covered latest development on the Iraqi scene.
In his two separate meetings with the senior
Iraqi officials Badran expressed Jordan's keenness on preserving Iraq's
security, stability, unity, and sovereignty on its land. He expressed hope that
all Iraqi people would take part in shaping their future through participating
in the ongoing political process. Badran, who arrived in Baghdad earlier on the
day on a several-hour visit, conveyed His Majesty King Abdullah II's best
greeting to the Iraqi leadership and expressed Jordan's pledge to support the
Iraqi government to build its security and political institutions with a view to
enhance the political process in the country.
In a joint press conference with Iraqi Premier, Badran affirmed Jordan's
keenness to establish strong relations with Iraq in various domains. "We will
not leave Iraq alone and we will support it and we are with its national unity,"
Badran told reporters. We discussed numerous dossiers in economic and trades
areas, including ways to enhance activities of the joint committees particularly
the higher committee, he said. Referring to the security file, Badran said
boarders between the two countries are "fully secure and there are no
infiltrators from Jordan to Iraq."
However, mixing between security and trade
sometimes create a barrier for the trade movement between the two countries, he
added . " We want the trade movement to go on very smoothly but not at the
expense of security situation," he said . Security and stability of Iraq are
very important to Jordan, Badran said adding that a committee was formed
co-chaired by interior ministries of both countries to focus on security issues.
For his part, Iraqi Prime Minister expressed happiness over Badran's visit as it
is the first by a Jordanian high ranking Arab official since the overthrown of
the previous regime. " This visit forms a significant political turning point in
bilateral relations", Jaafari said. It has broken the ice and it implies an
important political message, he added calling all Arab countries to follow suit
Jordan. " For us Jordan has always been the lung from which Iraq can breathe,"
he told reporters. In his press conference with Iraqi First Vice President Adel
Abdel Mahdi, Badran said the two peoples in both countries share a host of
issues including demography, geography and kinship, let alone the common
interests.
He said his meeting with Mahdi was good and he invited him to visit Jordan for
further talks to strengthen ties of cooperation. In reply to a question, Badran
said we both agreed to activate the work of the joint higher as well as other
committees. The work of these committees will immediately start to discuss all
common issues, particularly in security, economic, social and trade areas. The
democratic process in Iraq, respect to political pluralism and elections that
represent all Iraqi spectra in this one united country are all in the best
interest of the Iraqi people and the entire Arab region, Badran said.
" We support the democratic process and pluralism in Iraq," he added. This process would eventually bring about political, economic and social stability, he affirmed. Following the terrorist attack in Aqaba, Jordan's borders with all Arab countries have come under more control, said the Prime Minister. But enhanced security measures would harm movement of passengers between two Jordan and Iraq, he added. On diplomatic relations between the two countries, Jordan has named its ambassador to Baghdad and we welcome him and are waiting for soon, said Abdel Mahdi.