AMMAN (JT & Petra) — His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday reiterated Jordan's continued backing to Iraq's reconstruction process.  

AMMAN (JT & Petra) — His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday reiterated Jordan's continued backing to Iraq's reconstruction process.

At a meeting with Iraqi Planning and Development Cooperation Minister Mehdi Hafedh, King Abdullah also said the Kingdom fully supports efforts to ensure stability in the neighbouring country, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, said.

Hafedh, Petra said, thanked the King for his endeavours to write off Iraq's foreign debts and secure the needed financing for the reconstruction process.

Hafedh was also received by Prime Minister Faisal Fayez for talks on bilateral ties and a Nov. 3 meeting of the Jordanian-Iraqi Joint Higher Committee. The committee will be co-chaired by Fayez and his Iraqi counterpart Iyad Allawi.

The Iraqi minister briefed Fayez at the meeting, which was attended by Planning and International Cooperation Minister Bassem Awadallah, on the outcome of an international donors' forum held in Tokyo last week for the reconstruction of Iraq. The forum welcomed convening such a meeting in Amman next spring.

The two sides also coordinated their stands on a meeting which will bring together in Cairo next month the Group of Eight and countries neighbouring Iraq.

Following the meeting, Awadallah stressed the two countries' keenness to boost their ties at various levels.

He said bilateral trade was rebounding to normal levels, with Jordanian exports to Iraq reaching JD350 million in the first eight months of the year.

According to Awadallah, these ties would be boosted further once security and stability in Iraq are achieved.

Addressing a joint press conference with Hafedh at the Prime Ministry, Awadallah indicated that the two countries will discuss several strategic joint projects during the Nov. 3 meetings of the Jordanian-Iraqi Joint Higher Committee.

These projects include extending an oil pipeline, upgrading border centres, a highway linking the two countries, upgrading port facilities in Aqaba and establishing a free zone area at the border, Awadallah pointed out.

A Ministry of Planning statement said these projects were reviewed by the Tokyo donors meeting.

"The international donor community has expressed interest in developing a new funding mechanism to support regional projects to facilitate and enhance efforts for the reconstruction of Iraq, which include supporting a number of infrastructure improvement projects in Jordan," the statement said.

Hafedh, emerging from his talks with Fayez and Awadallah, voiced confidence that Jordan would have a "major role" in reconstructing Iraq, saying the joint committee's meeting would define policies and mechanisms that would develop bilateral ties.

He described cooperation with Jordan as a springboard to developing Iraq's ties with countries of the region and the world.

The Iraqi minister voiced hope that the donors' conference which will be hosted by Amman next spring would constitute "an important political and economic step on the way to the reconstruction of Iraq."