 |
Iraqi Official Says Restoration of Diplomatic Ties with Lebanon Soon
An Iraqi senior official said Tuesday that Lebanon would restore diplomatic ties with Iraq in a few days.
General-Secretary of Iraqi Interests Section in Beirut Nabil Janabi said that he had received "a confirmative message" from Lebanese government that Lebanon would allow Iraq to open its diplomatic office in Beirut, official NNA news agency reported.
But he did not reveal the level of the diplomatic relations that will be restored.
Lebanon broke off its diplomatic ties with Iraq in 1994 after several Iraqi opposition leaders were killed in a cafe in Beirut, which Lebanon blamed on Iraqi authority.
Also on Tuesday, a plane of Lebanese governmental TMA company flew to Baghdad carrying food and medicine. The spokesman of the company said they would send planes to Iraq regularly.
Iraqi Air Line Company reopened its branch in Beirut in January and Lebanese non-governmental organizations have rented several planes to send humanitarian aid to Baghdad since the beginning of 2001.
At a recent cabinet meeting, Lebanese leaders have decided to resume diplomatic ties with Iraq in view of the changes of international and regional situation as well as the increasing trading and economic ties between the two countries.
According to Iraqi statistics, the total imports and exports between Lebanon and Iraq in the last two years reached 370 million U.S. dollars.
In This Section
|