Arab active diplomatic role in Iraq in 2008

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Iraq witnessed in 2008 intensified diplomatic activities, mainly in its foreign relations with the Arab and gulf countries, which suffered from stagnancy, especially after 2003. Jordanian King Abdullah II was the first senior official to visit Iraq in this respect. Several international officials visited the country in 2008, including outgoing U.S. Bush and the newly-elected Obama. Also in 2008, Iranian President Ahmadi Nejad arrived in Baghdad, representing the first of its kind by an Iranian president, as well as Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Regarding foreign officials’ visits, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited Iraq three times; the first on January 15, on April 20 to support the Iraqi government and to take part in the 3rd neighboring countries conference in Kuwait, attended by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. She met with President Jalal Talabani and his two deputies Adel Abdul Mahdi and Tareq al-Hashemi as well as al-Maliki, Kurdish Prime Minister Negervan Barzani and a number of senior Iraqi officials. She also met with General David Petraeus and U.S. Ambassador in Baghdad Ryan Crocker. Rice paid her last visit to the war-ravaged country on August 21 to hold talks on the U.S.-Iraqi security pact. The Sadrist bloc called on followers to stage a demonstration against her visit. U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates visited Iraq on February 9, the 9th since assuming office and the first in 2008. He also visited the country on April 24, during which he reiterated calls to the Arab countries to support the Iraqi government through establishing ‘comprehensive diplomatic ties with Iraq’. Iranian President Ahmadi Nejad made a three-day historic visit to Baghdad on March 2. On March 15, U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney arrived in Baghdad in a visit coinciding with the 5th anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion. He met with al-Maliki and praised in a joint press conference with the “security and political progress in the country since the last visit he paid before 10 months.” Cheney held a meeting with the head of the United Iraqi Alliance Abdulaziz al-Hakim in Baghdad and Kurdish leaders in Arbil. On April 24, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband visited Iraq and discussed with Talabani and al-Maliki means to foster bilateral ties. On May 17, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was in Baghdad, where she met with Talabani, his two deputies, al-Maliki and former Parliament’s Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani. British Defense Secretary Denis Brown visited Basra. On May 31, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner landed in Nassiriya, in his second visit to Iraq. The first one was on August 19 in 2007. UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nuhayyan arrived in Iraq on an official visit to pave the way for the reopening of his country’s embassy in Baghdad. He invited President Talabani, al-Maliki and Speaker al-Mashhadani to visit the UAE. On June 10, Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith paid a visit to Iraq and conveyed his country’s keenness to support the political and economic operation in Iraq. He held a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Burham Saleh. On July 6, Nouri al-Maliki paid an official visit to the UAE to hold talks to write off $7 billion Iraq’s debts and to appoint ambassador in Baghdad. Four days later, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was in Baghdad and announced during a joint press conference with al-Maliki the establishment of the higher council for strategic cooperation between Iraq and Turkey. On July 17, Leader of the Lebanese Parliamentary Majority Saad al-Hariri arrived in Baghdad and met with senior Iraqi officials, including Shiite top cleric Ali al-Sistani. British Prime Minister Jordon Brown arrived in Baghdad on an official visit, where he held talks with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, President Jalal Talabani and his two deputies Adel Abdul Mahdi and Tareq al-Hashemi. Bro