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Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki arrived in New Delhi on August 22 on a four-day state visit, the first high-level bilateral trip between the two countries in 38 years. Maliki is accompanied by a high-level delegation that includes ministers, senior officials and captains of industry. Maliki's trip will see India and Iraq sign an agreement on energy cooperation. Iraq is the second largest crude supplier to India, with oil imports standing at $20 billion. Iraq is the second largest crude supplier to India, with oil imports standing at $20 billion. After resuming the India-Iraq Joint Commission meetings last month, the countries finalized an agreement for expanding energy cooperation in a record time of less than a month. The recent visit by Indian petroleum minister Veerappa Moily to Iraq for the Joint Commission meeting, Iraq offered to let India develop three oil fields without bidding. Unlike other major Gulf oil producing countries, Iraq has shown that it is not averse to participation of foreigners in developing its oil assets.1
- 1. “Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki arrives in India on four-day visit,” NDTV, August 22, 2013, at
http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/iraq-s-prime-minister-nouri-al-maliki-...