PM makes for Australia

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Tuesday left the Iraqi capital Baghdad for Australia, leading a high-profile delegation, a well-informed source said. “ The delegation includes Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, Trade Minister Abdul Falal al-Sudani, Industry Minister Fawzi al-Hariri, and a number of senior Iraqi officials,” the source told IraqiNews.com news agency. “ The premier will discuss political and economic files as well as the agricultural initiative,” the source added. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki had launched an initiative to enhance the agricultural sector in the country in July 2007. The initiative should set a time frame of 10 years for Iraq to reach the state of self-sufficiency in strategic crops. Maliki’s initiative also envisages, inter alia , providing farmers with seeds, fertilizers and pesticides. SH (P)/SR 1