Jordan Times
Thursday, January 10, 2008
'New ideas needed’
AMMAN (JT) - Iraq welcomes any ideas to renew oil shipments to Jordan, Iraqi
Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari said here yesterday, stressing his country’s
commitment to the agreement signed between the two sides in this regard.
He said, during a meeting with Prime Minister Nader Dahabi, that the problem
with the previous exports of Iraqi oil to Jordan, which were halted for security
reasons, was in the “transportation mechanism”.
“Iraq welcomes any Jordanian ideas to replace the old transportation mechanism
with a new one that ensures safe delivery,” Zebari said.
Dahabi was quoted by the Jordan News Agency, Petra, as voicing hope that Iraq
will be able to resume oil sales to the Kingdom, which has removed oil subsidies
in this year’s budget, a decision that will have repercussions on the cost of
living.
Ongoing violence in Iraq was the reason behind delaying the delivery of
discounted oil shipments to Jordan last September. The few shipments that made
it to the Jordan Petroleum Refinery Company were described as “symbolic” by
officials here.
Zebari earlier in the day met with Minister of Foreign Affairs Salah Bashir, who
told him Jordan will continue to provide the Iraqi community with facilities
despite the huge burden placed on the Kingdom by nearly half-a-million Iraqi
people.