By Xinhua,
Baghdad : Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki headed to neighboring Jordan on Thursday to hold talks with Jordanian leaders over a package of bilateral issues, Iraqi official television reported.
The state-run Iraqiya television said that Maliki has left to Jordan in an official visit to discuss bilateral relations.
Earlier, the official newspaper al-Sabah said Maliki will be accompanied by Oil, Interior, Finance and planning ministers, along with a number of senior officials.
It said that Maliki would hold talks with King Abdullah II, Prime Minister Nader Dahabi and other senior Jordanian officials.
Earlier in the week, Jordanian Minister of State for Information and Communication Affairs Nasser Judah said that their talks will focus on supporting the political process in Iraq and bilateral relations, especially the trade and economic cooperation between the two countries such as providing Jordan with Iraqi oil.
Jordan also said it would appoint an ambassador to Iraq after Baghdad said earlier it would review a discounted oil deal for Amman, which depends on its neighbor for most of its fuel needs.
Meanwhile, Maliki’s visit comes amid controversy about a U.S. and Iraqi long-term security agreement that would provide legal bases for continued U.S. troops presence in Iraq.