PM, Iraqi president discuss ties, investment

AMMAN — Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid on Tuesday received Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh to discuss bilateral ties and cooperation.

During the meeting, Khasawneh conveyed His Majesty King Abdullah's greetings and well-wishes for the Iraqi president and his best wishes for further prosperity for the Iraqi people, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The prime minister also highlighted several Jordanian-Iraqi projects, including the economic zone, the industrial estate and the development of the oil pipeline from Basra to Aqaba. 

He underscored the importance of advancing the projects from planning to implementation through Jordanian, Iraqi, and Egyptian bilateral or trilateral cooperation.

Khasawneh also stressed the importance of the private sector and the establishment of the Jordanian-Iraqi business council for boosting trade and investments, expressing optimism for the projected positive results to be enjoyed by both countries. 

The prime minister praised Iraq's security and stability as a result of the continuous efforts of the Iraqi people and institutions in defeating terrorism, referring to the bilateral security agreement within a regional framework that covers harmful drug trafficking activities and the launch of anti-narcotics campaigns, protecting the people and the region.

For his part, Rashid stressed the "deep-rooted" ties that link Iraq and Jordan, highlighting that Iraq's stability and security provides an opportunity to proceed with development and investments in vital Iraqi sectors. 

He also emphasised the significance of capitalising on the both nations' success in economic, trade and investment sectors.

Rashid also conveyed his greetings to King Abdullah, praising His Majesty's supportive stances towards Iraq and its people.

Also on Tuesday, Khasawneh met with Iraqi Speaker of the Council of Representatives Mohamed Al Halbousi, where he stressed his keenness to boost cooperation in various fields, Petra added.

Khasawneh reaffirmed Jordan's commitment to the security and stability of Iraq and its reconstruction process, due to Baghdad's important status both in the Arab region and internationally. 

For his part, Halbousi paid tribute to His Majesty's support for Iraq in its efforts to achieve security and stability during the transition to the development and construction phase. 

He emphasised the strategic relations between the two countries “in all areas and at all levels”.