Amman - Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki wound up a two- day official visit to Jordan Friday by reporting a rift with the United States over an agreement that defines the status of US troops in Iraq in the future. "There is no agreement so far, but rather a draft and ideas put up for discussion and over which there are differences in viewpoints," al-Maliki told reporters on the fringes of talks he held with his Jordanian counterpart Nader Dahabi.
"Such an accord should pass through a process of dialogue and discussion because it is going to be concluded by sovereign states and should ensure the sovereignty of the Iraqi state," he said.
Al-Maliki and Dahabi declared that they agreed to renew an oil agreement between the two countries, which expires on August 15, for another three years.
Lack of security hindered the implementation of the agreement which originally provided for supplying Jordan with between 10 and 30 per cent of its daily oil needs of around 100,000 barrels per day at "preferential prices."
"Conditions are now better than the past for conveyance of Iraqi crude to the Kingdom," Dahabi said.
Al-Maliki praised what he called "encouraging" remarks over the speeding up of the return of a Jordanian ambassador to Baghdad.
"Arrangements have already started for choosing the place and ensuring security" for the Jordanian diplomatic mission, he said.
Jordan has said that it is planning to name a new envoy to Baghdad, where the Jordanian embassy was the scene for a fatal bombing in August 2003.
However, Minister of State for Information and Communication Affairs Nasser Judeh said earlier this week that the safety and security of Jordanian diplomats "should be secured" beforehand.
