The US president George Bush yesterday called Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed, President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi, to thank him for his decision to forgive Iraq's debt and reopen the embassy in Baghdad. "We certainly appreciate the Emirates' recognition that a secure and prosperous Iraq is in the best interest of the region," the White House spokesman Dana Perino said. Sheikh Khalifa this week agreed to annul Iraq's US$7 billion (Dh25bn) debt and appoint a new ambassador to Baghdad.
*AFP