Syrian - Iraqi oil pipelines maintained

The Jordanian weekly al-Bilad quoted Arab sources as saying that the Iraqi government has officially informed the Syrian government that final arrangements on maintaining the Iraqi - Syrian oil pipelines shut down in 1982 have been completed.

The sources added that the pipeline is now ready to transfer crude oil to Banias port in Syria and to the port of Tripoli in Lebanon. The sources said that Baghdad informed Damascus immediately of the readiness to resume pumping oil through this pipeline, if Damascus would have taken a stride towards resuming severed diplomatic relations which Baghdad views as unjustified in light of continuously improved economic and trade relations and resumption of contacts between the two countries.

The Jordanian weekly's sources noted that Damascus is expected to take a step to this effect, noting that Syria has announced its consent toward Iraq's participation in the forthcoming Arab summit.