RIYADH, 13 September 2006 — A major agreement to combat terrorism, illegal border infiltration and organized crime is likely to be signed by Iraq and its neighboring states including Saudi Arabia next week.
The accord will be signed during a high-profile meeting of the region’s interior ministers, which will be chaired by Saudi Interior Minister Prince Naif in Jeddah on Sept. 18, said Saudi and Turkish officials here yesterday.
“Before the interior ministers’ meeting, the undersecretaries of the interior ministries of Iraq’s neighboring states will hold a three-day preparatory session beginning Thursday to work out the agenda of the meeting,” said A. Aziz Al-Musbil, an Interior Ministry spokesman.
Musbil said that the interior ministers’ meeting would focus mainly on enhancing the contribution of neighboring countries to Iraq’s security and stability.
“The signing of the security agreement will be a major achievement of the meeting this time,” said an official of the Turkish Embassy.
Saudi Arabia shares an 830 km, sparsely-inhabited border with Iraq. Saudi Border Guards regularly foil attempts by criminals and individuals moving in both directions.
A number of laser cameras have been installed along the Saudi-Iraqi border to monitor the movement of the people across the frontier and to detain those trying to infiltrate into the Saudi territory. Iraq has several land crossing ports of entry and exit with Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Turkey and Syria and shares passenger ferry links with the UAE, Bahrain and Qatar through Gulf waters.
Some neighboring states have already confirmed that their interior ministers will attend. Turkish Minister of Interior Abdulkadir Aksu will arrive in Jeddah early next week, said the Turkish official. Asked about the meeting’s agenda, the Saudi and Turkish officials said that the ministers are due to discuss security issues in detail.
