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Kharrazi calls for restoration of national sovereignty in Iraq

IRNA

Damascus, Nov 2, IRNA -- Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi on Sunday 
reiterated formation of efficient security forces in Iraq and added 
that Iran welcomes participation of the international community in 
Iraq`s reconstruction. 
Speaking at the fourth foreign ministers meeting of Iraq`s 
neighboring countries plus Egypt, he added that the resolutions 
drawn up by the UN Security Council must be sufficiently comprehensive
and broad-based to attract the cooperation of the international 
community. 
"Iran is determined to actively participate in Iraq`s 
reconstruction and has in view a complete series of cooperation 
projects on investment, trade, tourism and financial schemes. 
"The growing trend of insecurity and instability in Iraq leading 
to a nationwide crisis has even made the sacred praying and 
pilgrimage centers, hospitals and charity centers unsafe," he added. 
The official noted that the occupying forces voice anti-terrorism 
slogans while Iraq has become a shelter to the terrorists controlled 
and supported by themselves. 
He referred to bomb explosions in Jordanian and Turkish embassies 
in Iraq and the UN representative office in Baghdad, assassination of 
the Martyred Ayatollah Seyed Mohammad-Baqer Hakim near Imam Ali`s (AS)
sacred mausoleum in the holy city of Najaf, the murder of a member of 
Iraq`s interim Governing Council Aqila al-Hashemi and a Spanish 
diplomat in Iraq as subversive measures taken against Iraqis, the UN 
and international community. 
Kharrazi noted that failure of the foreign troops in Iraq to 
tackle the terrorist groups targeting the security of Iraq`s 
neighboring states is the consequence of their wrong policies. 
Condemning such measures and expressing Iran`s deep concern over 
the issue, he said that terrorist bases in Iraq are unbearable and 
declared that the support of the occupying forces for the groups 
launching terrorist attempts against Iraq`s neighboring countries is 
a perilous trend and quite effective in the regional insecurity. 
Turning to the issue of Palestine and the continued catastrophic 
developments in the occupied lands, Kharrazi said, "Escalation of 
the criminal measures of the Zionist regime against the Palestinian 
nation as an abuse of the regional developments cannot be ignored. 
"This is while the arrogant powers exert the most severe political
and economic pressures on the regional states and resort to atrocity 
and violence to quell any opposition to the extremist policies of the 
Zionist regime. 
He said "Labeling a nation resisting merely to release their 
land and restore the rights to which they are entitled as terrorist 
should be condemned. Overlooking the Zionist regime`s weapons of mass 
destruction (WMD) is an obvious danger threatening sustainable peace 
in the region," he added. 
Appreciating the Syrian government hosting the 4th foreign 
ministers meeting of Iraq`s neighboring countries plus Egypt, the 
minister reiterated the continuation of such meetings in order to 
secure complete stability and tranquility in Iraq. 
The official meeting is currently held in Damascus Sheraton 
Hotel in the absence of the foreign minister of Iraq`s interim 
government, Houshiar Zibari. 
The meeting is attended by the foreign ministers of Syria, Iran, 
Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait and Turkey and the high-ranking 
delegations accompanying them. 
The foreign ministers attending the Damascus meeting convened 
on Saturday night for talks on inviting Zibari to participate in 
the ongoing event. 
The Iraqi minister, who has not given a positive response to their
official invitation, has not yet arrived in Damascus. 
The first meeting of the foreign ministers of Iraq`s neighboring 
countries was held in Istanbul before the US-UK invasion of Iraq and 
the second was held in the Saudi capital, Riyadh after Saddam 
Hussain`s downfall. 
The third one took place on the sidelines of the foreign ministers
meeting of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) member states 
in Tehran in late spring. 
Iraq was not represented in any of the three meetings. 
MP/212 
End