By NNN-Petra,
Amman : Prime Minister Nadir Dhahabi has announced here that Jordan and Iraq have decided to extend the validity of their oil agreement for three years with the same conditions, under which Jordan can import Iraqi oil with preferential prices.
In a joint press conference with his Iraqi counterpart, Nouri Al-Maliki Thursday, Dhahabi said under the oil agreement, which was signed by the two countries on Aug 15, 2007 and will expire on Aug 15, 2008, and due to security issues Jordan could not get Iraqi oil during that period.
He said that the two sides had reached an agreement to extend the validity of the agreement for three years.
He expressed appreciation for the Iraqi prime minister’s swift response in this regard.
Dhahabi said that all meetings held with the Iraqi prime minister whether the meeting with the King or the meeting between the two prime ministers or the expanded one in the presence of ministers and relevant parties from both sides were characterized with transparency, openness and frankness while discussing all dossiers.
He said talks touched upon several dossiers one of them providing Jordan with oil, the conditions of Iraqis residing in Jordan, economic cooperation, opening the Iraqi market for Jordanian goods and Jordanian-Iraqi debt, pointing out that there were positive results in various dossiers and that the meeting was successful by all standards.
Replying to a question on the debt issue between the two countries, he said that there is an ad hoc committee formed from the Ministries of Finance in the two countries to discuss the debt issue.
For his part, Al-Maliki said that his visit to Amman came at an appropriate time and had great significance because it responded to the aspirations of the two brotherly countries to establish stronger relations, stressing that talks were serious and full of optimism and positive, especially at a time when Iraq aspires to build closer links with neighbouring countries with Jordan at the forefront to stabilize the security and prosperity of these states and their integration in various fields.
Al-Maliki said that the talks dealt with important issues between the two countries, pointing out that the talk on the economic aspect was not only useful for a particular country but rather beneficial for all countries.
He stressed that Iraq desires and aspires to establish such relations, especially relating to the oil industry, stressing that Iraq wants to meet the need and desire of Jordan in this area.