Gulf and Arab nations vow to open embassies in Baghdad

Manama: Iraq on Monday made much-needed diplomatic gains after Gulf countries and Egypt pledged to consider opening embassies in Baghdad.

The decision by the eight-member group to embrace Iraq's political and security progress was seen as a "qualitative leap forward" by Iraq's foreign minister who attended the one-day meeting in the Bahraini capital. The group also includes Jordan.

"There was good understanding from all about the situation in Iraq and we had a pledge from Saudi Arabia to open an embassy in Baghdad. We had also pledges from Kuwait and the UAE, while Egypt said tit would send a security team to check a building for the embassy," Hoshyar Zebari told reporters.

Bahrain's Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid Bin Ahmad Al Khalifa said the meeting agreed there was progress in Iraq.

"I don't think there is anyone around the table who denies there is prog-ress in Iraq. Iraq is not a subject of discussion, but a participant," he said at a press conference with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at his side.

No Arab country has a resident ambassador in Baghdad, although Bahrain last month said that it would soon appoint an ambassador to Iraq after it withdrew its chief diplomat in July 2005 following a bloody attack on his convoy.

"We are now in the process of choosing the ambassador," Shaikh Khalid said. However, not all countries have emulated Bahrain's decision, and officials close to the meeting told Gulf News that the participants agreed that the decision to open an embassy was left to each country "according to its interests."

Shaikh Khalid said that the Arab countries did not make demands on the Iraqis before making their pledges.

"We are partners and friends. We do not put demands to Iraq. When we first started this meeting today, we did have questions and Rice and Zebari gave us encouraging assurances to help lift the ambiguity of the political picture and the situation in Iraq," he said.

Shaikh Khalid said that the meeting agreed on a new format that allows Iraq to be a member of the group, turning into 6+3+1. "We will hold meetings at regular intervals," he said without elaborating.

"It is the view of the members of this group that Iraq should become a regular participant in its discussions. I think that's a very good step forward for the reintegration of Iraq into regional affairs," Rice said.

However, the US Secretary of State did not report any progress on relieving Iraq of billions of dollars in debt, a move strongly opposed within the group.