(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) The foreign ministers of Iraq and Iran on Sunday called for the doubling of regional and international efforts on tackling the Islamic State jihadists who are controlling large swathes of Iraqi land.
Iran's visiting minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called on regional powers to take a serious stance on the group, formerly known as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
He described the network as a "terrorist group" that is "not directed towards any nation, ethnicity or sect but against our region as a whole, peace and international security." In a joint press conference with his opposite Iraqi number here, he said that his presence in Iraq is "an exceptional opportunity, under these circumstances the Iraqi people are living, to tackle this movement that runs counter to Islam, religion and peace." He also pledged Iran's support of "Iraqi unity of people and soil and its security, which it (Iran) regards a priority in its foreign policy." Iran, however, "does not interfere in the internal affairs of Iraq, and the process of the formation of a government is an internal Iraqi affair," he said.
He expressed the view that Iraqis are "able to protect their land and country," adding, "we (Iran) stand by Iraq in all of its components to tackle terrorism. We do not believe that there is a need for us to be present on its land.
"There is not a single Iranian soldier on Iraqi lands," he reiterated, adding "Iraq is content and does not need the presence of Iranian soldiers on its lands." Meanwhile, on his nation's position on the appointment of Haider Al-Abadi as Iraqi Prime Minister in the place of Nouri Al-Maliki, he pledged Iran's support of "the choice of the Iraqi people." "We will not intervene in the choices of its (Iraq's) representatives, and we will provide support to the government of Al-Abadi as we supported the government of Al-Maliki," he said.
He went on to praise Al-Maliki's departing government as a political leadership that "was characterized by wisdom in the fight against terror." For his part, Iraqi foreign minister Hoshyar Zebari praised the stance taken by Tehran in support of the fight against terrorism in Iraq, which he described as a "dangerous attack." However, he stressed that Iraq's "calls for international cooperation and support was not intended to urge Iranian, American or other reinforcements, but was for consultation support and technical cooperation." "Iraq requested support through consultancy and information," he stated, adding "this is normal and occurs in all nations that are under danger." He added, "there is no shortage in Iraqi or Peshmerga (Kurdish) forces for Iraq to request troop reinforcements." Zebari also emphasised that support does not necessarily mean "presence on land but has other aspects."
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