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Kharrazi warns against negative effects of Iraqi crisis on region

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Moscow, May 18, IRNA -- Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi here 
Monday night, speaking of the current situation in Iraq as "very 
dangerous," warned of the negative effects it would have on the 
region. 
Kharrazi, on the second day of a two-day official visit to the 
Russian capital, made the remark at a press conference attended by his
Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov. 
"The next Iraqi government should have legitimacy which can be 
possible only through a domestic mandate and through transfer of 
power to representatives of the people," he said. 
"The Iraqi nation will not support proposals that have no 
legitimacy and made only to justify the continued occupation of the 
country," he added. 
Kharrazi, however, stressed that any "transfer of power to 
representatives of the Iraqi people should take place under the 
supervision of the United Nations." 
Referring to the torture and other abuses committed on Iraqi 
prisoners by US and British forces, he said their behavior has not 
only raised a scandal but also created international hatred against 
the occupation, adding that it "has destroyed whatever hopes there 
were of the US establishing a legitimate government in Iraq." 
The Iranian minister said the same occupation in Palestine and 
similar atrocities are the root of all problems, adding that he 
had exchanged views with the Russian president and other senior 
officials on the deplorable situation there. 
Kharrazi gave a summary of his talks with high-ranking Russian 
officials including President Vladimir Putin, saying in the talks 
the two sides discussed cultural, political, economic and nuclear 
cooperation, including Iran`s cooperation with the International 
Atomic Energy Agency, and the issue of the Caspian Sea. 
He noted the two sides also reviewed other international issues 
such as recent developments in Afghanistan and Tajikistan. 
"We will hold the Caspian Sea summit this year and (President) 
Putin will travel to Iran to participate in the summit," Kharrazi 
said, obviously referring to the Caspian Sea issue. 
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, for his part, termed 
the outcome of talks between Kharrazi and Putin as "friendly and 
constructive." 
He said the sides discussed bilateral relations, particularly in 
the commercial and economic fields, the Caspian Sea and international 
issues. 
President Putin has agreed to pay a visit to Iran in the future 
in view of the two countries` identical stances on many issues, he 
added. 
Pointing to the Iraqi crisis, he stressed the importance of 
establishing a legitimate government in the country with the 
participation of all Iraqi political forces and under the supervision 
of the United Nations. 
The Russian minister condemned the attacks on Iraq`s two holy 
cities, Najaf and Karbala, saying Russia had initiated a proposal to 
preempt any aggression on these holy sites in any military operation. 
He voiced his country`s concerns over the increasing aggression 
on Iraq`s cities and stressed such moves made it all the more 
difficult to arrive at a political settlement of the crisis. 
Asked about the possibility of maintaining an international 
peacekeeping force to provide security in Iraq under the leadership 
of the United States after the establishment of an interim government 
and whether Russia would contribute forces, he said a peacekeeping 
force can only be established in Iraq after an agreement with a 
legal government. 
Russia currently has no forces in the US-led coalition in Iraq 
and the foreign minister said it will not be dispatching peacekeeping 
forces to Iraq, but is willing to review the issue if an Iraqi legal 
government would request. 
The two ministers also discussed the issue of the return of waste 
fuel from the Bushehr nuclear power plant to Russia, stressing the 
issue is not political. 
Kharrazi, heading a delegation, arrived in Moscow on a two-day 
visit on Sunday night. 
During separate meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin, 
the secretary of the National Security Council Igor Ivanov and Foreign
Minister Sergei Lavrov the two sides discussed bilateral cooperation, 
regional and international issues. 
SF/LS/210