BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Malikiunderlined that his visit to Jordan achieved great and big results.

This came during a press conference al-Maliki held with hisJordanian counterpart Abdullah al-Nussour at the end of a short visit he madeto the Jordanian capital Amman.

Al-Maliki said that despite the short visit, it achieved great andpositive results which will reflects positively on the two brotherly people.

"It was agreed to extend an oil pipelineacross Jordan to Aqaba to export Iraqi oil and satisfy Jordan's cruderequirements," the Iraqi premier told journalists, saying this would"end the transportation of oil using tankers."

The new pipeline would be capable of pumpingone million barrels per day.

Jordanian Prime Minister Abdullah al-Nussour,who met with Maliki, praised the deal, saying "we need each other, andJordan is important for Iraq's trade and the export of its oil."

Iraq also agreed to "bring into effect a2009 agreement to establish a free trade zone between the two countries,"and "to increase the capacity of (its) gas pipeline" "to secureJordan's Iraqi natural gas needs," according to Petra.

Jordan relies on imports for 95 percent of itsenergy needs.
A rise in fuel prices by up to 53 percent in November promptedviolent protests in which three people were killed and more than 70 injured.

SH (TS)