Iraq Pleased with Release of British Troops by Iran

Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, in a phone conversation with his Iranian counterpart Manouchehr Mottaki on Thursday voiced pleasure with the release of the 15 British troops and described it as a wise decision. A statement released by the Foreign Ministry’s Information and Press Bureau said that also during the phone conversation, the Iranian foreign minister told Zebari that direct bilateral talks constitute the best method to solve problems.

“As we have already stated several time, bilateral talks and diplomatic means set the best way to solve problems,” Mottaki said.

“After British officials found out that their political moves through the UN Security Council and EU had yielded no success, they eventually realized realities and opted for bilateral talks,” he added, reminding that the latter approach could set a proper paradigm for the settlement of other issues.