Amman - Jordanian Foreign Minister Salah Bashir conferred
Wednesday with the UN Secretary General's Special Representative to
Iraq, Staffan de Mistura, and renewed his country's commitment to
continue extending assistance to about 500,000 Iraqis in Jordan,
according to an official statement.
'Jordan will continue to extend all forms of assistance to the
Iraqi brethren until security and stability are restored in Iraq,'
Bashir said.
However, he underscored the importance of the ongoing political
process there leading to a 'national reconciliation that involves all
components of the Iraqi people.'
Bashir urged the United Nations to ensure world financial help to
Jordan to enable it to cope with the growing 'economic burdens'
shouldered by his country as a result of the presence of such a large
number of Iraqis on its soil.
According to official estimates, Jordan incurred infrastructure
losses amounting to two billion dollars over the past three years due
to the existence of a huge Iraqi community in the country that was
estimated by the Norwegian institute Fafo at between 450,000 and
500,000.
During the meeting, the UN official 'expressed appreciation for
Jordan for its assistance that enabled various Amman-based UN
agencies and offices to perform their duties towards Iraq in a proper
manner,' the Jordanian statement said.
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