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A total of 12 Jordanian vehicles loaded with goods were expected to enter Iraq Friday, Jordan's official Petra News Agency reported Thursday.
The report came after the two countries discussed ways to restore the transportation of humanitarian goods, mostly drugs and food, which Baghdad said were held up in Jordan.
On Wednesday, Iraqi Ambassador to Jordan Sabah Yassin held talks with Jordanian Industry and Trade Minister Salah Basheer in an attempt to find "a flexible mechanism" to enable the normal flow of commodities into Iraq.
Baghdad accused Amman of unilaterally halting the shipment, while Jordan attributed the stoppage to the suspension of the UN oil-for-food program about Iraq following the outbreak of a US-led war on Iraq last Thursday.
According to Petra, one vehicle loaded with pharmaceuticals passed into Iraq on Thursday, while two with water filtration equipment, tents and pharmaceuticals crossed the border on Wednesday.
The number of vehicles which entered Iraq since the beginning of the war last Thursday reached 224, with a total load of 3,480 tons.
Iraq consumes 20 percent of Jordan's export, while the kingdom completely depends on Iraq's oil supply.
Defying international opposition, the United States and Britain launched a war against Iraq last Thursday under the pretext of toppling Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to disarm Iraq of weapons of mass destruction.
Iraq has denounced the US and British invaders as "criminals" and "villains," while urging the international community to stop the "aggression" unconditionally.
(Xinhua News Agency March 28, 2003)
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