Germany says Iraqi president has arrived for treatment

BAGHDAD - Agence France-Presse

In this Aug 17, 2007 file photo, Iraq's President Jalal Talabani talks to reporters in Baghdad, Iraq. AP Photo

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said today that Iraqi President Jalal Talabani had arrived in the country for medical care after he suffered a reported stroke.
 
"I can confirm that Iraqi president Talabani is in Germany for medical treatment," Westerwelle said in a brief statement. "I sincerely wish him a quick and full recovery." The ministry declined to provide any further details on Talabani's whereabouts, nor was specific information immediately available from officials in Baghdad.
 
Talabani's office said earlier he had left the Medical City hospital in Baghdad for Germany "under the care of a specialised medical team." The president, who is in his late 70s, was hospitalised late Monday after what state television reported was a stroke, but doctors have said his condition has improved.
 
Germany, Europe's top economy, has a number of world-class medical institutions and foreign dignitaries frequently seek out the country for care.
 
During the past year, he has repeatedly sought to convene a national conference aimed at reconciling feuding Iraqi leaders.