Iraqi PM to parade progress on trip

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki will visit the United Arab Emirates on Sunday and then Germany and Italy later in July, government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh told reporters Thursday.

He did not give dates for the European stops, saying only that the visits will "enhance European-Iraqi cooperation and the mutual relations with these countries."

Violence in Iraq has dropped to its lowest level in more than four years as a result of the 2007 buildup of American forces, the Sunni revolt against al-Qaida in Iraq and Iraqi government crackdowns against Sunni extremists and Shiite militias, among other factors.

Al-Maliki's government is hoping to capitalize on the downward trend in violence to bolster Iraq's image internationally and shore up support for his Shiite-led administration.

Germany was a leading opponent of the 2003 U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein, and Italy withdrew troops from Iraq in 2006 because of widespread public opposition to the war.

Al-Dabbagh also said Jordan's King Abdullah II will visit Iraq soon. It would be the first visit to Baghdad by an Arab head of state since Saddam's regime collapsed.

Iraq's ambassador to Jordan, Saad al-Hayyani, said preparations were under way for the visit but that no date has been set. Jordanian officials declined comment.

Nevertheless, al-Dabbagh said Iraq believed it "would stimulate other senior Arab officials to visit Iraq to enhance bilateral relations."

"I think this visit is the product of a different view of what is happening in Iraq," al-Dabbagh said.