BAGHDAD: Saudi Arabia has named an ambassador to Baghdad for the first time since Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1990, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari said on Tuesday.
Iraq is preparing to host an Arab League summit at the end of March that has been twice delayed by regional turmoil and acrimony between Baghdad and some Arab Gulf states over a crackdown by Bahrain's rulers.
"For the first time since 1990, the Saudis have named an ambassador to Iraq. This is a very positive development," Zebari told Reuters, without elaborating.
Saudi Foreign Ministry spokesman Osama Nugali said: "We nominated our ambassador in Jordan as ambassador for Iraq as well, but he will not be residing in Iraq."
A successful summit in Baghdad would help restore Iraq's place in the Arab world and perhaps contribute to allaying Gulf states' concerns about Iran's influence in post-war Iraq.
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