PM to visit Australia, Russia, France, UK to bolster relations – Dabbagh

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki will soon visit Australia to discuss means of activating agro-industrial and scientific cooperation, and to Russia, France and Britain in April to enhance bilateral relations, an official spokesman for the Iraqi government said on Sunday. “Iraq is expecting a visit by Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa,” Ali al-Dabbagh said in a press conference he held in central Baghdad’s heavily-fortified Green Zone. Meanwhile, Dabbagh said that the Iraqi government has agreed with the U.S. side to pull 12,000 troops out of Iraq by September 2009 from certain positions previously agreed upon in accordance with the status of forces agreement (SOFA), in addition to the withdrawal of 4,000 Britons by next July. AmR (P)/SR 1