'Oil deal with Iraq involving thousands of new jobs to be struck within two days'

AMMAN — An "important" oil deal between Jordan and Iraq that would see thousands of jobs created in both countries is nearly completed, Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi said on Thursday. 

The Iraqi prime minister's media office said in a statement carried by the Jordan News Agency, Petra, that the oil and trade agreement with Jordan will be struck in the coming two days.

"The next phase will see great economic openness to the regional and global arenas, and an important agreement will be signed with Jordan on the export of oil and the opening of the Tureibil border crossing within two days, which will provide thousands of jobs in the fields of transport and services," Abdul Mahdi was quoted as saying.

Relations between Iraq and Jordan saw remarkable progress in the last months, embodied by His Majesty King Abdullah’s visit to Baghdad earlier this month that followed another by Prime Minister Omar Razzaz, as well as a Jordanian ministerial delegation visit that concluded recently, while a month earlier Iraqi President Barham Saleh paid a visit to Amman.

Earlier this week, Abdul Mahdi announced that Jordan and Iraq have agreed that the former would lower fees on Iraqi shipments handled at Aqaba Port in return for lower prices of Iraqi oil imported by Jordan.

Both countries also agreed to a door-to-door freight shipping agreement, under which cargo trucks are expected to start crossing the Jordan-Iraq border once again to reach their final destination.

Although the border has been open and operational for some time now, truck shipments from Jordan bound for Iraq have not been allowed. Instead, the goods would be unloaded, moved to an Iraqi truck waiting on the other side of the border, and then delivered.

During the visit to Baghdad on January 14, the King held talks with Iraqi President Barham Saleh and senior officials on bilateral relations and ways to enhance them in all fields.