Germany To Boost Relations With Iraq

BERLIN, Aug 18 (AFP) - Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said Wednesday that Germany wants to deepen its economic and political relations with Iraq.
Schroeder told reporters in Berlin that Germany was studying how to substantially reduce the war-torn country's debts and would not be content with just training the Iraqi police and military.
"We want to help," he said, "it is in the interest of everyone to ensure that there is greater stability in the region."
He said he would discuss the issue during a trip to Germany by Iraqi President Ghazi al-Yawar scheduled for September 9-12, and confirmed that Prime Minister Iyad Allawi had also accepted an invitation to visit.
"These visits will provide an opportunity to discuss perspectives," he said.
Schroeder reiterated that Germany would not send any troops to Iraq.
According to the Handelsblatt newspaper, Iraq is planning to send a new ambassador, Alaa Abdul Majid Hussain al-Hashimi, to Berlin ahead of the visit.
He would be the first Iraqi ambassador in Berlin since the first Gulf War in 1991. The two countries' relations have been maintained since then by lower level diplomats.