‘Fighting ISIL must not violate Iraq’s territorial integrity’
Iranian Deputy FM stressed respect for the sovereignty of Iraq in light of the country’s constitution, saying fighting ISIL must not be used as a pretext to undermine Iraq’s territorial integrity.
Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab-African Affairs, made the remarks in a Monday meeting with Iraq’s Deputy Foreign Minister Nizar Khairallah in Tehran. Khairallah and his accompanying delegation were visiting Iran at the invitation of Amir-Abdollahian with an aim to attend the first Iran-Iraq Joint Political Committee’s meeting.
During the meeting, the two sides conferred on the latest bilateral, regional and international developments and exchanged views on the process of fighting against terrorism. The two diplomats also highlighted the need for further expansion of relations between Tehran and Baghdad.
Amir-Abdollahian congratulated the Iraqi government on its recent victories against terrorism and stressed Iran’s serious support for Iraq, adding “the aim of holding the joint political committee’s meeting was to exchange views and find ways to cement bilateral cooperation as well as to help facilitate the implementation of agreements in economic, trade, borders, consular and environmental cooperation.”
The Iraqi diplomat, for his part, expressed gratitude for the Islamic Republic’s unwavering support in various areas, particular in fighting terrorism, saying “the joint political committee was an important step toward the development of bilateral cooperation in all areas and Iraq is ready to take further measures to expand cooperation with Iran.”
Khairallah further highlighted the role of the two countries’ relations in maintaining stability and security across the region, calling for continuation of political consultations between the two countries.
