PM calls on British companies to invest in Basra

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The Iraqi premier Nouri al-Maliki on Thursday called on British companies to invest in Basra and other Iraqi provinces. This came when al-Maliki received the British state secretary for international development affairs, Douglas Alexander, according to a release issued by al-Maliki’s media office. “During the meeting, al-Maliki stressed the necessity of developing mutual relations and improving cooperation within all levels,” said the release that was received by IraqiNews.com. “The two countries cooperated to eliminate terror, and today they cooperate in development and investment,” the release quoted al-Maliki as saying. During the meeting, the release said, the two sides discussed the future of the U.K. military presence in Iraq within the framework of an agreement that organizes the British troops’ withdrawal from the country. MH (P) / SS 1