Jordanian Prime Minister Ali Abu Ragheb will travel to Iraq by plane on Wednesday, the first Arab head of government to do so in a decade, for oil and trade talks, the press reported Monday.
At the end of September a cabinet official told AFP that Abu Ragheb would travel to Iraq soon but the visit was apparently delayed for calendar reasons.
A government source told AFP the visit "would probably" take place on Wednesday.
Al-Rai newspaper said Abu Ragheb will fly aboard a Royal Jordanian plane to Baghdad and will be accompanied by "100 political and media figures."
"Abu Ragheb will be the first Arab prime minister to visit Baghdad since the (UN) air ban was imposed on Iraq" following the 1990 invasion of Kuwait, the newspaper said.
Al Aswaq economic newspaper said Abu Ragheb will chair the Jordanian side of the Jordan-Iraq joint commission aimed at renewing and raising the volume of an annual trade and oil agreement.
Amman depends on Iraq for all its oil needs and under the terms of the agreement would import 4.8 million tons of Iraqi crude in 2000 at preferential rates in exchange for 300 million dollars worth of goods.
Al Arab Al Yawm newspaper said six cabinet ministers will be traveling with Abu Ragheb to Baghdad for a visit expected to last three days.
Al Aswaq said Jordan was "studying the possibility of operating a trade air link between Amman and Baghdad".
Jordan became the first Arab country to defy the 10-year-old UN air ban imposed on Iraq at the end of September when it flew a humanitarian plane to Baghdad, strengthening ties between the two countries -- AMMAN (AFP)
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