NEW DELHI, May 28 (UPI) -- India has been quietly reopening diplomatic ties with the new Iraqi government, offering to help rebuild the war-torn nation, the Asia Times said Saturday.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, in his first official contact with the new Iraqi government, sent special envoy for West Asia, C R Gharekhan, to meet Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari earlier this week.
The Asian Times said that while India has offered to help in rebuilding Iraq, it is also seeking to gain at least $10 billion of the estimated $100 billion reconstruction business.
Singh reportedly sent a personal invitation to Jaafari to visit India -- and Jaafari reciprocated by inviting the Indian premier to Iraq.
Gharekhan suggested Jaafari assign the Iraqi oil minister to lead a delegation to India for the next meeting of the India-Iraq Joint Commission, the Asian Times reported.
The new government in Baghdad has already indicated it would be happy to welcome back Indian businessmen, in order to re-establish the thriving Indo-Iraq economic ties that prevailed before the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.
