Iraq is expecting visits soon from Jordan's King Abdullah and Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, easing its regional diplomatic isolation, the foreign minister said on Wednesday. Abdullah will the first Arab head of state to visit Iraq since the US-led invasion in 2003. “In the international community and Arab countries, confidence has grown in Iraq and its ability to be stable, to recover from the evils of sectarian war ... in its prospects to move forward,” Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari told a news conference. He gave no dates for the visits. Gulf Arab states, encouraged by a fall in violence to a 4-year low, have pledged to revive high-level diplomatic ties to Iraq. No Arab ambassador has been stationed permanently in Iraq since Egypt's envoy was kidnapped and killed shortly after arriving in 2005. “Soon there will be some senior leader visits to Iraq. King Abdullah of Jordan is expected to visit us in Baghdad, the first Arab leader,” Zebari said. “There is a diplomatic opening for Iraq. This is very encouraging.” Zebari said he also expected Erdogan very soon. Iraq's ties with Ankara have at times been tense over Turkish military attacks on Kurdish rebels living in northern Iraq. Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki would soon visit the United Arab Emirates, Germany and Italy, Zebari added. He said the growing confidence of Arab governments in Iraq was largely due to the government's progress in reconciling with minority Sunni Arabs after sectarian fighting brought Iraq to the brink of civil war in 2006 and early 2007. Analysts say Baghdad's reliance on US troops and its close ties with Iran have also been behind the reluctance by Sunni Arab states to normalise ties. Security pact ‘finalized' Zebari said Washington and Baghdad have “almost finalized” negotiations on a long-term security pact. “We are talking about a strategic framework agreement that will improve cooperation between Iraq and the US on a whole range of issues... we have almost finalised the document,” Zebari said at press briefing. Zebari said the complex and difficult talks would continue as both sides try to strike an agreement before a July 30 deadline. “There was a great deal of misrepresentation, confusion and politicking on this issue,” he said. “Instructions from my government is to reach an acceptable agreement to preserve Iraqi sovereignty and the United States' position has been supportive.”
