Eurasia Press & News
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki here on Thursday called on Washington to revise its wrong policies in Iraq, reminding that the United States’ present distress is a product of the same wrong policies. Speaking to reporters before seeing off Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki here on Thursday, Mottaki voiced pleasure in his two-hour-long talks with his Iraqi counterpart Hushyar Zebari, and added that during the meeting they have discussed bilateral ties, Iraq’s developments and regional issues.
He further pointed to an assessment of recent Iran-US talks over Iraq, the fate of the Iranian prisoners in Iraq, reorganization and restart of operation by Iranian consulates in the northern Iraqi cities of Erbil and Soleymanieh, the fate of the Iranian consulate missioners kidnapped in Iraq and the issue of Iraq’s neighbors as among the main topics of his talks with Zebari, saying that the morning session of the two ministers revealed that Tehran and Baghdad should expand their view exchanges.
Mottaki also said that he and Zebari decided to form a joint political commission to be presided by the two countries’ deputy foreign ministers, and also mentioned that his deputy for Arabian and African affairs Mohammad Reza Bagheri would pay a visit to Baghdad in the near future.
Elsewhere, he mentioned that during the meeting the two sides have discussed economic cooperation in infrastructural affairs, and said that the political resolve of the two countries’ officials to further consolidate Iran-Iraq ties had been emphasized during the meeting once again.
“In this meeting, the two sides expressed hope that the (two countries’) agreements made in the oil and energy sectors would be implemented,” Mottaki continued.
Also referring to the illegal detention of the Iranian consulate missions in Erbil, he said that during the meeting, the detention of the Iranian consulate missioners in Erbil by the US troops had been condemned and that the Iraqi side had underlined its continued efforts to set the missioners free.
He also noted the United States’ wrong policies in Iraq, and called on the US to account for the arrest of the Iranian missioners.
Mottaki said that the US is now in profound distress and is experiencing a very cumbersome condition in Iraq due to its wrong policies and performance in that country, and stressed that the US should revise its policies to get rid of the present situation.
He further voiced Iran’s support for Iraq’s political structure and government, and stressed the need for practical steps to help establish security in that country.
Mottaki also stressed that attainment of the said goal (establishment of security in Iraq) is subject to a revision of the wrong policies and honoring of pledges by the United States, and described United States’ serious and practical support for Maliki’s government as the most important pledge the US should honor first.
He further underlined that Iraq’s security affairs should be transferred to the Iraqis themselves, adding that if such an event takes place, hope can be pinned on the future of talks.
