Manama: Iraq's Vice-President Tarek Al Hashemi has left Doha, the Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported.
"He left on Wednesday morning at the end of an official visit of several days and he was seen off at the airport by Shaikh Hamad Bin Nasser Al Thani, the state minister," the official news agency reported. Shaikh Hamad had welcomed Al Hashemi upon his arrival in the Qatari capital on Sunday.
On Tuesday, Doha rejected Iraq's demand to hand over the fugitive Iraqi official.
"Diplomatic norms and the post of Al Hashemi prevent Qatar from doing such a thing," Khalid Al Attiyah, State Minister for Foreign Affairs, said.
Al Hashemi, wanted by the Iraqi government over an alleged role in acts of terrorism, had initially left the Iraqi capital for Kurdistan. However, the Kurdish zone was unwilling to hand him over and Baghdad's demands to make him face justice were rejected.
His trip to Qatar sparked bitter domestic and international standoffs.
In a statement, Al Hashemi's office said that he left the Kurdistan region of Iraq for Doha in response to an invitation he had previously received.
The office said that Al Hashemi would spend some days in Qatar before visiting unnamed other countries and returning to Kurdistan.
Al Hashemi was received by the Qatari Emir Shaikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani received Al Hashemi at his court. The meeting reviewed bilateral relations and the developments in the region, QNA said.
