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Baghdad: Iraq is keen on cementing ties with the UAE, and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki expressed hopes on Friday that the UAE foreign minister’s visit would enhance bilateral ties.
UAE Foreign Minister Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan's visit to Iraq is the first-ever visit by a UAE foreign minister.
The Iraqi prime minister urged UAE companies to invest in Iraq.
"We are struggling to defeat terrorism, to eliminate armed groups, sectarians and outlaws and to achieve security and stability," Al Maliki said in a statement.
Shaikh Abdullah had reportedly extended an official invitation to Al Maliki to visit the UAE, although the time and date have yet to be set.
The UAE foreign minister also announced that the UAE will name an ambassador to Iraq soon and reopen its embassy in Baghdad—the first move in three years by a US-allied Gulf state.
Arab ambassadors have withdrawn from Baghdad since 2005 after Egyptian ambassador Ihab Al Sharif was abducted and killed that year.
The UAE would also agree on new premises for the UAE embassy in Baghdad, WAM quoted Shaikh Abdullah as saying on Friday.
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