Mubarak receives Iraqi Envoy
Egypt-Iraq, Politics, 6/19/2001

The Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak Monday morning received at the Presidential palace Iraqi Deputy Premier and Finance Minister Hikmat Ibrahim.

The meeting was attended by Iraqi charge d'affaires in Cairo Hamam E1 Aloussi.

Speaking to the press after the meeting, Hikmat Ibrahim said he came to Egypt as an envoy of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to brief the president on the latest developments on the so-called "smart sanctions", its dimensions and direct impact on Iraqi-Arab relations in general and Iraqi-Egyptian ties in particular.

From the outside, the Anglo-American project seems ostensibly containing some points that are in favour of the Iraqi people because it speaks about easing measures to enable Iraq import commodities and goods from the outside world, he said.

Iraq's trade dealings with its neighbors should take place through the UN, but reality shows the US influence the UN and consequently, Washington has the upper hand in carrying out this project, he added.

This project puts the Iraqi civil aviation under control and inspection as each plane heading for Iraq should first land on neighboring borders and be subject to inspection in search for commodities that might be banned, he said.

Revenues of Iraqi aviation are then to go to a UN-supervised fund, he added.

"Iraq rejected this project because it would be an infringement of its dignity and sovereignty,and it is a new colonialist formula.

The entire region is now in great danger because of the energy sources Israel owns," Ibrahim said.

Asked whether Iraq will work anew as part of the UN oil-for food programme, he said the programme was usually extended for six months but this time the UN extended it only for one month in a bid to force Iraq to agree on the British-American-proposed smart sanctions regime.

That why we announced our approval to extend the programme for six months but under new terms, he added.

Whether Iraq will accept lifting the UN sanctions and tight control on its armament process, he said the previous resolutions used to organize the armament process but now the US is trying to suffocate Iraq even more.

About the impact of the new sanctions regime on the Iraqi Arab relations, he said "Arab countries exactly feel what we feel." Though the US is trying to insinuate that there are some countries that supported new sanctions regime, the official Arab stance is in general against this regime." Concerning whether the Saudi-Iraqi dispute over the oil pipeline was contained, he said this issue is about the Iraqi oil pipeline passing through Saudi lands. "This project was set up in accordance to a definite contract signed between the two sides,and they should sit together to discuss the contract," he added.

The United Nations Security Council decided on June 1 to extend the oil-for-food programme for one month to end on July 3.

Russia and China have been insisting earlier to extend the programme for six months, but the UNSC failed to take such a decision in the current phase.

As regards the Kuwaiti prisoners of war held in Iraq, Hekmat Ibrahim said that this issue is a controversial one, adding there are still more important issues such as Iraqi borders with Kuwait and recognizing the state of Kuwait.

Moreover, Prime Minister Atef Ebeid Monday received Hekmat Ibrahim, who is now visiting in Cairo. "The talks dealt with Egypt's stance that rejects maintaining the international blockade imposed on Iraq," said the Iraqi official after the meeting.

In reply to a question about the volume of trade between Egypt and Iraq after carrying out the oil-for-food memorandum of understanding , Ibrahim said that it hits now $ 2.5 billion. The figure will rise high after ratifying the free trade area between the two sides, he pointed out.

Ibrahim denounced the Security Council resolution on extending the oil-for-food programme for only one month instead of six months.

Previous Stories:
  Moussa, Sahaf exchange views on Amman summit's agenda   (3/14/2001)
  Iraqi FM: Sanctions are inhuman, merciless and illegitimate   (3/12/2001)
  Air strikes against Iraq unjustified negative step   (2/20/2001)

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