Iraq PM heads to Kuwait for key security conference
BAGHDAD (AFP) — Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki left for Kuwait on Monday to attend a conference of Iraq's neighbours to discuss the security situation in the battered country, his office said.
A statement said the premier was leading a delegation of senior ministers, including Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari and Minister of State for National Security Shirwan al-Waili.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, foreign ministers of Iraq neighbours, along with Egypt and Bahrain, plus five UN Security Council permanent members and other Group of Eight nations, are to meet in Kuwait on Tuesday to discuss the situation in Iraq.
The conference is the third of its kind following meetings in Egypt in May and Turkey in November.
During the conference, Iraq is expected to urge Gulf states to forgive billions of dollars owed from loans and upgrade their diplomatic representation in Baghdad.
Gulf states, especially OPEC members Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, agreed several years ago to forgive a substantial part of Iraqi debt, estimated to total tens of billions of dollars, but Iraq wants this to be translated into action.
Rice is also expected to urge the Arab states to boost their diplomatic presence in Iraq, especially to counter the rising influence of Shiite Iran on Maliki's government.
Iran, which is vehemently opposed to the US military presence in Iraq, said it will attend the meeting, although it has not made clear how high-ranking a delegation it will send.
