President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan met Sunday with visiting Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on bilateral ties and the situation in Iraq, the official Emirates News Agency reported.
During their meeting, Sheikh Khalifa announced that his country has written off debts and interests worth four billion U.S. dollars owed by Iraq, according to the report.
The UAE's decision to write off the Iraqi debts was a "genuine expression of brotherhood and solidarity between the two countries. It is also an effort to assist Iraq to execute reconstruction projects and rehabilitation of institutions," Sheikh Khalifa said.
"The restoration of security in Iraq is the cornerstone in rehabilitation and resumption of its active regional and international roles," he said, noting the necessity to assist Iraq to achieve stability.
The UAE president also called on the Iraqi people and political spectrums to back their legitimate government and eschew sectarian violence to help Iraq regain its stability and security.
Maliki expressed his gratitude to the UAE's decision, adding that "the UAE's decision to write off the debts will enhance the credit position of Iraqi economy and spur restoration of security and stability."
Sheikh Khalifa and Maliki also discussed the situation in Iraq and the efforts being exerted by the Iraqi authorities to restore security and stability nationwide. Regional issues were also discussed during the meeting.
Maliki, accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising ministers of interior, trade, industry and mining, arrived at Abu Dhabi, capital of the UAE, earlier in the day for a two-day visit to the Gulf country.
Maliki's visit to the UAE is a signal of the strengthening ties between the two countries, said Ismat Siddiq, the Iraqi Consul General in Dubai.
"The UAE in particular is one of the most important Arab countries to Iraq... The Emirates is playing a leading role in rebuilding Iraq, through providing monetary and material support," Siddiq added.
Source:Xinhua
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