Royalty in the News

Jordanian King Abdullah II became the first Arab head of state to visit Iraq since the fall of Saddam Hussein. It was an unannounced visit, and the King had talks with Nouri al-Maliki, the Iraqi Prime Minister, and vice president Abdel Mahdi. Abdullah originally planned to go to Iraq last month, but cancelled to avoid massive publicity.

The King had “frank and positive talks” with al-Maliki on relations between the two countries, the Iraqi government said in a statement. The meeting only lasted four hours, and Abdullah left Iraq before it was even announced he came.

But Maliki seemed optimistic following the brief meeting, saying in a release statement: “This visit will open a new page in relations between the two countries which will help to maintain the stability and security in Iraq and all the region,” he said.

Ties between the two neighboring countries have been strained since the Saddam’s government collapsed. U.S. officials had been urging Abdullah to visit Iraq to bolster ties between the two countries. Jordanian officials have been concerned about the rise of a pro-Iranian Shiite government in Iraq and the loss of discounted oil, which Saddam once provided.

Al-Maliki visited Jordan in June for the first time in nearly two years, and since then, the two nations appear willing to put their differences behind them.

In addition to meeting with Al-Maliki, King Abdullah also met with vice president Abdel Mahdi. He discussed the sectarian violence with Mahdi, and said, “Uniting Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish political powers is the only way to build a unified and sovereign Iraq that would be capable of serving its people and the Arab nation.”

“Iraqi and Jordanian officials should exchange visits after this trip to discuss mechanisms for boosting bilateral relations in various fields and serve the interests of Jordan and Iraq,” the King added, in a statement released in Amman.

When Iraq visited Jordan back in June, he agreed to renew oil supplies to his cash-strapped neighbor for the next three years at discounted prices.

Jordan also agreed to ease restrictions on the entry of Iraqi students and those transiting to a third country.

Jordan hosts between 450,000 and 750,000 Iraqi refugees who have fled violence in their war-torn country, and Amman has estimated the costs of sheltering them so far at more than two billion dollars.

Jordan has also named an ambassador to Iraq, joining other Arab countries that have agreed to upgrade their relations as the Iraqi government becomes more stable and security has improved — despite sporadic attacks and ongoing military operations.

The king’s visit was seen as positive if symbolic step forward for Baghdad which is working to rebuild relations with its neighbours in the wake of five years of bloodshed that continues despite violence dipping to a four-year low.

Maliki said the visit paved the way for strengthening Iraq’s relations with other Arab countries.

King Abdullah in 2004 warned against the emergence in Iraq of a pro-Iranian government that would promote a “Shiite crescent” bringing together Iran, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon — a comment criticised by Iraqi officials.

The Sunni-ruled Arab monarchies of the region had been reluctant to upgrade ties with Iraq, not just due to violence in the country but also because of its Shiite-led government’s perceived tilt toward non-Arab Shiite Iran.

Posting based on articles from the AP and AFP.