20 January 2004	Tuesday	27 Ziqa'ad 1424

WASHINGTON, Jan 19: US President George Bush on Monday dispatched his special envoy on Iraq debt, James Baker, to Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia for a new round of debt-reduction talks.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan said Mr Baker would visit the nations from Monday to Thursday. He will also meet US-backed Iraqi leaders, though not in Baghdad.

The United States sees freeing Iraq of its estimated 120 billion dollars foreign debt burden as key to helping revive the economy. In recent weeks, Mr Bush has sent James Baker, a former secretary of state, to major creditor nations in Europe and Asia to try to reach an international agreement.

Iraq is the most heavily indebted country in the world in terms of its population. Mr Baker has already secured pledges from major creditors, such as Germany, France and Japan, to reduce Iraq's debt.

His objective is to get similar support during his visit to Gulf countries, to which Iraq owes more than 45 billion dollars. Analysts say Saudi Arabia is key to finding a deal to ease Iraq's debt and support economic recovery.-Reuters