PM DAHABI'S PLANNED TRAVEL TO BAGHDAD

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 000573 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ELA AND NEA/I E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/02/2019 TAGS: PREL IZ JO SUBJECT: PM DAHABI'S PLANNED TRAVEL TO BAGHDAD REF: A. 08 AMMAN 2381 ¶B. AMMAN 460 ¶C. AMMAN 472 Classified By: Ambassador R. Stephen Beecroft for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Jordan's Prime Minister Nader Al-Dahabi told Ambassador in a recent conversation that he plans to lead a ministerial delegation to Baghdad in the near future, without specifying a date. According to a senior ministerial source quoted in local press, the Jordanian delegation hopes to discuss issues including political and economic relations between the countries and the status of Jordanian prisoners in Iraqi jails. ¶2. (C) Khalid Al-Qadi, Director of the Political Section of the Prime Minister's private office, told PolChief that Jordan hopes to announce several, primarily economic, agreements during the visit. Qadi noted that the details of the delegation's travel are being kept vague due to security concerns but advised that Jordan's ambassador to Iraq, who is in Amman awaiting completion of the Jordanian Chancery in Baghdad, almost certainly would accompany the PM on his trip. Qadi said this trip is the most recent in a series of political overtures to Iraq and that Jordan hopes that Iraq will reciprocate, not only by developing economic ties but also cooperating on shared political interests. ¶3. (C) Center for Strategic Studies Director Nawaf Tel, who retains the Foreign Ministry's Iraq multilateral portfolio, echoed Qadi's comments, saying Iraq needed to do more to build on the bilateral relationship. Iraq had yet to respond to Jordan's political outreach with concrete steps to improve economic ties, which is Iraq's side of the bargain for an overall improved relationship, Tel asserted. ¶4. (C) Comment: A Jordanian delegation headed by Dahabi would represent the highest level visit since King Abdullah traveled to Baghdad in August 2008 (Ref A). Following Jordan's announcement of liberalized immigration and residency regulations targeted at Iraqi investors (Ref B), Dahabi's travel reflects Jordan's continued hopes that engagement will bring closer ties and economic benefits, especially during the global downturn (Ref C). End Comment. Visit Amman's Classified Website at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman Beecroft