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Iraq`s first ambassador to Iran since 1980 takes office

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, Sept 18, IRNA -- Iraq`s first ambassador to Iran since 1980 
when the two countries went into a destructive war for eight years 
assumed office here Saturday by submitting his credentials. 
Mohammad Majid al-Sheikh takes over from Iraqi charge d`affaires 
Khalil Salman al-Sabihi to represent his country in the Islamic 
Republic. 
In submitting a copy of his credentials to Iran`s Foreign Minister
Kamal Kharrazi, al-Sheikh touched on `political, historical and 
cultural commonalties of the two countries and stressed the need for 
exploiting them` to put the two neighbors` bitter past behind. 
The two countries are emerging from years of estrangement as a 
result of the war which the former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein 
started during this time in 1980. 
According to the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Kharrazi expressed 
satisfaction with `the freedom of the Iraqi people from Saddam`s 
dictatorship`. 
"He hoped foreign forces would leave Iraq with the holding of 
election and establishing an elected government," the Information and 
Press Department of the ministry said. 
Kharrazi described foreign forces as the cause of insecurity in 
Iraq, saying with the establishment of a popular government, terrorist
and extremist forces will have no pretext to exist, it added. 
Iran and Iraq are also patching up relations, soured following 
disappearance of several Iranians in the war-torn country and 
anti-Iran statements of few Iraqi officials. 
Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Barham Saleh visited Iran last month 
following Vice President Ibrahim al-Jafari`s surprise visit to Tehran 
to prepare for Prime Minister Iyad Allawi`s trip to the Islamic 
Republic. 
The visits were hoped to give added momentum to the two countries`
bid to mend fences after a period of bitter recrimination in the wake 
of a few Iraqi officials` accusations and disappearance of several 
Iranians in Iraq. 
Allawi has welcomed the invitation to visit Tehran, stressing, "We
want establishment of good relations with neighboring countries, 
especially Iran." 
The Iraqi prime minister has been in pains to clarify Defense 
Minister Hazem al-Shalaan`s statements, accusing Iran of interference 
in Iraq`s domestic affairs. 
The Iraqi prime minister has stressed that `the complaint` had 
only been made against `unofficial figures` in Iran and that Shalaan`s
anti-Iranian statements had been misconstrued. 
Tehran, on its part, has played down the minister`s remarks, 
saying they do not reflect Baghdad`s official stance on Iran. 
Iranian officials have welcomed Allawi`s visit, saying it is a 
`positive step` in bilateral ties between the two countries. 
Calling security between the two countries as `intertwined`, 
Iranian officials have pledged to `frankly` discuss their issues of 
concern and `prepare grounds for establishment of sustainable and 
consolidated ties`. 
2323/2322/1432