Al Bilad newspaper The Iraqi President: We are coordinating with the Americans for the coalition’s exit… and Iran’s attack on Erbil is unacceptable
– 2024-03-01 11:33:10
Iraqi President Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid spoke about his country’s suffering from “internal and external confrontations for years,” noting that working to establish security and stability in the country is a necessity for returning to the international community.
In a lengthy interview conducted with him by Al-Hadath channel, Rashid touched on Iraq’s foreign relations, saying: “Our relations now are good with neighboring countries and the international community.”
The Iraqi president considered that “the American presence and the coalition forces were in agreement with the government… and the departure of these forces is a decision taken by the government in coordination with the political parties and parliament.”
In this regard, he pointed to the start of communications regarding the withdrawal of international coalition forces from Iraq, saying: “The presence of international coalition forces in Iraq is linked to ISIS, whose threat has become much less than before.”
The Iraqi President expressed his optimism about an agreement soon on the issue of the exit of international forces from the country. He told the event: “We want diplomatic, political and economic relations with the Americans. We cannot ignore relations with a strong country the size of the United States.”
Regarding Iraq’s relationship with Iran, the Iraqi president told the event: “Our relations with Iran are strong, and we have commercial and religious relations with it.” He said: “We suffered from foreign interventions that negatively affected the country. The actions of the armed factions recently are linked to the aggression against Gaza.”
The Iraqi President assured the event that “the government is serious about calming the situation and reaching an agreement with all political and security parties… Our security forces are good and the Iraqi army is ready for internal and external challenges.”
He added: “Our position is clear regarding what is happening in Gaza and we support the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to a secure, independent state. We condemn and denounce the aggression against Gaza or any Arab country.”
He said: “We are trying to calm the situation in the region and we have succeeded in bringing the views of Saudi Arabia and Iran closer together and in returning Syria to the Arab League. The differences in the region are not fundamental and cannot be resolved. The region has spent long periods of conflicts and wars and we hope not to return to that era.”
Regarding his country’s relationship with Saudi Arabia, the Iraqi president said: “Our relations with Saudi Arabia are good and we need all Arab investors. The Saudis are optimistic about the good and strong relations with Iraq and are interested in our stability and security.”
He added: “Our relations with Turkey are good, politically and commercially. We are against security breaches in Iraq by any party, including Turkey. Our talks with Turkey are continuing to resolve the problems.”
He stressed his refusal to exploit Iraqi lands against any country, and said, “The Iranian attack on the city of Erbil is rejected. Our borders with Iran are safe and the joint committee is following the situation on a daily basis.”
He said: We call on the Iranian and Turkish Kurds not to use Iraq to launch attacks on neighboring countries. So far, the issue of the Turkish presence near our borders has not been resolved. The powers of the Kurdistan region are constitutional, and there is no official body that wants to withdraw them. Withdrawing the powers of the Kurdistan region is out of the question. Problems exist. Between Kurdistan and Baghdad regarding the budget and oil, and negotiations are continuing for a solution.”
