Amman - Iraqi Transport Minister Amer Abdul Razzak said Monday that his government would shortly declare Jordan's Red Sea port of Aqaba as the only conduit for Egyptian goods imported to Iraq.

Abdul Razzak, who is currently on a visit to Aqaba, told the official Petra news agency that the step was taken because of the "plausible transport costs" through the Jordanian port and as a way of increasing trade between the two countries.

"Aqaba is a vital port for the Iraqi economy and the shift to other ports in the past period was dictated by security considerations," the Iraqi minister said.

The Jordanian port acted as a major conduit for Iraqi trade with the rest of the world during the 1980-88 Iraq-Iran war and during the UN oil-for-food programme that was imposed on Iraq after its occupation of Kuwait in 1990 and lasted for 13 years.

Abdul Razzak said that Aqaba would also play a key role in handling Iraq's imports for the reconstruction of the country "particularly after the arrival in Iraq of several international companies to take part in rebuilding of the country".

He pointed out that all Iraqi imports through Aqaba would be handled by the Arab Bridge Shipping Co., which is a joint Jordanian-Iraqi firm.

The rise of Aqaba as the channel for Iraqi trade came after a decision by the Jordanian government last month to accord special entry and residence facilities to Iraqi businessmen.

Jordan is currently home for about 500,000 Iraqi refugees who fled their country after the US-led invasion in 2003 (dpa)