Around 100 Jordanian agricultural experts were set to travel Monday to Baghdad on a humanitarian flight taking with them more than half a ton of seeds, one of the organizers told AFP.
The one-hour flight aboard the national carrier Royal Jordanian (RJ) is due to take off for Baghdad at 8:00 p.m. (1800 GMT) and will be the third one to the Iraqi capital since the start of the month.
"Around 100 people from all sectors of the agriculture industry will be on board the flight," a member of the Agricultural Engineers Union, Mahmood Abu Ghanimeh, told AFP.
"We expect to spend three days in Iraq and meet with officials and representatives from the agriculture sector to discuss the possibilities for bilateral cooperation," Abu Ghanimeh said.
The group obtained permission from the UN sanctions committee to take "more than half-a-ton of seeds on this humanitarian flight" but a request to transport to Baghdad fertilizers and pesticides was denied by the UN, he said.
The flight is organized by the Agricultural Association Council which represents several groups including the Agricultural Engineers Association, Fruit and Vegetable Exporters and the Jordanian Farmers' Union.
An airport spokeswoman for Royal Jordanian (RJ) confirmed the flight.
Officials have said these flights are "programmed rather than scheduled", submitted for approval to the United Nations 48 hours at least before take off and leave upon receiving a written permit from the UN.
Deputy Prime Minister Saleh Rsheidat told AFP last week such flights are not considered "commercial" ones but part of humanitarian efforts to help Iraq's UN-sanctioned population -- AMMAN (AFP)
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