URGENT / British foreign secretary arrives in Basra

BASRA / IraqiNews.com: British Foreign Secretary David Miliband arrived in Basra on Monday leading a delegation of British investors and businessmen to attend the Basra investment conference, according to the Basra media spokesperson. “Miliband arrived at the Basra International Airport on Monday afternoon (April 6) to take part in the Basra investment conference,” Aqeel al-Fereji told IraqiNews.com news agency. In February, during a surprise visit to Iraq, the Foreign Secretary David Miliband declared the country “open for business” and a good place for U.K. firms to trade. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, during his meeting with the visiting British Business Secretary Lord Mandelson, had said that Iraq wants to develop bilateral relations and benefit from British companies in the reconstruction operations.   SH (P)/SR   1