Maliki leads delegation to Thi-Qar today

THI-QAR / IraqiNews.com: Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki will lead a ministerial delegation to Thi-Qar province today to discuss a number of key issues with local officials, according to a local source. “The delegation will include the ministers of municipalities, national security and health, and most probably the minister of electricity,” the source told Iraqi News. A host of key issues will be tackled during the visit, most prominently the saline rate and drought in the marshlands, the source explained. Maliki’s last visit to Thi-Qar was on January 26, 2009, during the election campaign. Thi-Qar lies 380 km south of the Iraqi capital Baghdad. SS (P) 2