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UN chief in Jordan after visit to Iraq

06 December 2012 23:50 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon on Thursday started a visit to Jordan for talks with Jordan's leaders, UN spokesman Martin Nesirky told reporters here, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

"The secretary-general just arrived in Jordan after a visit today to Iraq, where he met the country's president, prime minister and foreign minister and leaders of Parliamentary political blocs," Nesirky said at a daily news briefing here.

"The secretary-general will meet with Jordan's prime minister this evening," Nesirky said.

In his meetings in Baghdad, Ban discussed the need for inclusive dialogue as Iraqis move ahead with their political transition, the spokesman said. "And he said Iraq and Kuwait, which he visited yesterday, have a historic opportunity to improve their relationship."

Asked about the secretary-general's visit to Iraq, Nesirky said the visit underscores the importance of the political transition under way there and the need to come together in dialogue.

"The secretary-general visited Iraq after his visit to Kuwait, looking to help further the rapprochement between both countries and to encourage Iraq to live up to its obligations fully with regard to Kuwait," he said.

"The secretary-general also expressed his strong support for UN colleagues in the Assistance Mission to Iraq (UNAMI) who are doing a remarkable job in many facets of development in Iraq," Nesirky added.

Iraq and Kuwait recently made tangible strides that might contribute to resolving some pending issues, including striking a multi-million-U.S.-dollar deal to resolve a standoff with the Iraqi Airways, which prevented the Iraqi planes from flying to destinations in the West.