.Siniora visits Baghdad, calls on all Arab countries to embrace Iraq
BAGHDAD: Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora was in Baghdad on Wednesday for trade and policy talks, the first Lebanese leader to visit since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein more than five years ago.
Siniora's trip came on the heels of a visit on August 11 by Jordan's King Abdullah II, the first by an Arab head of state since the US-led invasion of 2003. He held talks with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki covering "the progress of Iraq, including security and the successful policies achieved by the Iraqi government for national unity" as well as the building of bilateral trade.
Baghdad, which used to have a strong trading partnership with Lebanon before the invasion and has huge oil reserves to offer, is eager to rebuild relations with its neighbours after five years of persistent bloodshed.
"We welcome all Lebanese and investors in a safe environment and we will provide Lebanon with Iraqi oil according to our agreements," Maliki told a press briefing after his meeting.
"We also agreed on forming a joint Iraqi-Lebanese group, which will put the final touches on the joint cooperation and reforming the failure that has occurred between Arab countries."
No stranger to conflict in his own country, Siniora stressed the need for pan-Arab unity and cooperation. "The message that I want to send and work out is that Arab countries have passed through many experiences and difficulties for a long time and now we should take the lessons from them.
"We should move beyond the troubles that happened due to the roles played by the occupiers and some parties or people and Israel, which played a role in the troubles we have faced," he said.
He added that Lebanon was eager for closer energy ties. "I felt from Prime Minister Maliki that there is real readiness to give Lebanon special treatment [in oil prices], and also study all the details about how Lebanon could collaborate with Iraq in the field of oil."
Washington has been pushing its Sunni 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 mainly Shiite leadership. The United States also hopes these countries will offer financial support to Iraq and counterbalance the influence of Iran, which US President George W. Bush has accused of meddling in Iraqi affairs.
Several Sunni-ruled Arab states have announced that they are sending ambassadors to Baghdad including Bahrain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, but only Jordan's King Abdullah has visited Baghdad.
Following the trip, Jordan appointed an ambassador to Baghdad where its embassy has been run by a charge d'affaires since it came under deadly attack in 2003.
Iraq has an embassy in Beirut, but Jawad al-Haeri, who was appointed Lebanon's first ambassador to post-Saddam Iraq in 2006, died in July and has not been replaced.
Siniora is in Baghdad at the head of delegation which also includes Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh. Last month, Saad Hariri, the leader of the parliamentary majority in Lebanon, also visited Iraq.
Daily Star
Siniora's trip came on the heels of a visit on August 11 by Jordan's King Abdullah II, the first by an Arab head of state since the US-led invasion of 2003. He held talks with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki covering "the progress of Iraq, including security and the successful policies achieved by the Iraqi government for national unity" as well as the building of bilateral trade.
Baghdad, which used to have a strong trading partnership with Lebanon before the invasion and has huge oil reserves to offer, is eager to rebuild relations with its neighbours after five years of persistent bloodshed.
"We welcome all Lebanese and investors in a safe environment and we will provide Lebanon with Iraqi oil according to our agreements," Maliki told a press briefing after his meeting.
"We also agreed on forming a joint Iraqi-Lebanese group, which will put the final touches on the joint cooperation and reforming the failure that has occurred between Arab countries."
No stranger to conflict in his own country, Siniora stressed the need for pan-Arab unity and cooperation. "The message that I want to send and work out is that Arab countries have passed through many experiences and difficulties for a long time and now we should take the lessons from them.
"We should move beyond the troubles that happened due to the roles played by the occupiers and some parties or people and Israel, which played a role in the troubles we have faced," he said.
He added that Lebanon was eager for closer energy ties. "I felt from Prime Minister Maliki that there is real readiness to give Lebanon special treatment [in oil prices], and also study all the details about how Lebanon could collaborate with Iraq in the field of oil."
Washington has been pushing its Sunni 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 mainly Shiite leadership. The United States also hopes these countries will offer financial support to Iraq and counterbalance the influence of Iran, which US President George W. Bush has accused of meddling in Iraqi affairs.
Several Sunni-ruled Arab states have announced that they are sending ambassadors to Baghdad including Bahrain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, but only Jordan's King Abdullah has visited Baghdad.
Following the trip, Jordan appointed an ambassador to Baghdad where its embassy has been run by a charge d'affaires since it came under deadly attack in 2003.
Iraq has an embassy in Beirut, but Jawad al-Haeri, who was appointed Lebanon's first ambassador to post-Saddam Iraq in 2006, died in July and has not been replaced.
Siniora is in Baghdad at the head of delegation which also includes Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh. Last month, Saad Hariri, the leader of the parliamentary majority in Lebanon, also visited Iraq.
Daily Star
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