Al-Maliki meets AL official

BAGHDAD – IraqiNews.com: Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki received on Wednesday Arab League Deputy Secretary General for Political Affairs Ahmad bin Helli and expressed hope for a bigger Arab League’s role in Iraq. “The meeting tackled the latest Iraqi developments and preparations for the March parliamentary elections,” said a statement released from al-Maliki’s office received by IraqiNews.com news agency. “The premier asserted Iraq’s Keenness to boost relations with AL and with all Arab countries,” it added. AL-Maliki called on Arab countries to be updated with security, economic and political developments in Iraq. He urged the Arab organization to play a more robust role in rebuilding Iraq and raise the level of diplomatic representation. On the other hand, bin Helli asserted that the pan-Arab body is keen on supporting the Iraqi people, pointing out that the AL keens to have a permanent contact with Iraq and to reflect the positive image of the recent developments in the country. SH (P) 2