JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia, July 28 (AFP) - Iraqi officials met here Wednesday with their Saudi counterparts to discuss boosting economic cooperation between their two countries which broke off relations more than 13 years ago.
Iraqi Planning Minister Mehdi al-Hafez met his Saudi counterpart Khaled al-Gosaibi to study "ways to support cooperation and improve economic relations," the official SPA news agency reported.
An Iraqi delegation headed by Prime Minister Iyad Allawi arrived Tuesday in the Saudi Red Sea city of Jeddah on the latest leg of a regional tour aimed at normalising ties with fellow Arab states and easing Baghdad's foreign debt burden.
Allawi met with Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal and discussed "bilateral relations and issues of common interest," SPA said.
The Iraqi premier was later received by the head of the Saudi federation of chambers of commerce, Abderrahman Al-Jarissi, during which the two studied "encouraging Saudi businessmen to invest in Iraq".
Iraqi Oil Minister Thamer Ghadban meanwhile met the head of the Saudi commission for geological activities, Mohammed Tawfiq, for talks on "oil cooperation" between the two OPEC members, according to the news agency.
Iraqi central bank governor Sinan al-Shabibi also held talks with his Saudi counterpart Hamad al-Sayari.
Riyadh said in January it would negotiate a "substantial" cut in Iraq's estimated 28-billion-dollar debt to the oil-rich kingdom.
According to a source in the Iraqi delegation, the issue of Iraq's debts has not so far been raised in meetings with Saudi officials.
"General issues that were predominantly political were discussed during the meetings without going into details," said the source, requesting anonymity.
"We want to discuss the issue of debt but it is a matter that cannot be discussed during a two-day visit. We aim to write off all our debt, but it's a technical matter as much as it is political and it needs time."
Ties with Riyadh were broken off by deposed president Saddam Hussein's regime during the 1991 Gulf War when US-led multinational forces used Saudi Arabia as a springboard to free neighbouring Kuwait from Iraqi occupation.