By Xinhua,
Abu Dhabi : The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced here on Sunday that it has written off debts and interests worth four billion U.S. dollars owed by Iraq, the official Emirates News Agency reported.
The announcement was made by the UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan while receiving visiting Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, according to the report.
The debts written off were offered to Iraq at different periods, the report said, giving no further details.
Maliki, accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising ministers of interior, trade, industry and mining, arrived at Abu Dhabi, capital of the UAE, earlier in the day for a two-day visit to the Gulf country.
Maliki’s visit to the UAE is a signal of the strengthening ties between the two countries, said Ismat Siddiq, the Iraqi Consul General in Dubai.
“The UAE in particular is one of the most important Arab countries to Iraq… The Emirates is playing a leading role in rebuilding Iraq, through providing monetary and material support,” Siddiq added.