Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

Larijani reaffirms legitimacy of Iraqi government

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Baghdad, April 30, IRNA
Iran-Iraq-Larijani
Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani on Monday reaffirmed legitimacy of Iraqi government and said that it has been elected in a democratic election.

Speaking in a joint press conference with Iraq's Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, Larijani called for the international community to support the democratically elected government in Iraq.

"The Iraqi government is fully legitimate and lawful. It requires all countries to support it."

He said that the differences between political parties in Iraq should be resolved democratically.

Larijani expressed hope that immediate peace and tranquility will be restored in Iraq in light of aspirations of the Iraqi nation.

"We declare our full support to the legitimate government, and are ready to cooperate with their politicians in all fields including security affairs."

He termed the current situation in Iraq as 'critical' saying that the oppressed Iraqi people suffer the most from spread insecurity and terrorist acts in the country, and called for regional and international strategies to terminate such problems sooner.

"We believe that the Sharm el-Sheikh Conference of neighboring countries of Iraq will provide all participants with the proper opportunity to support the Iraqi government," Larijani said.

Zebari, for his part, appreciated Larijani for visiting Iraq.

"Mr. Larijani gave us the news of participation of Iran in the Sharm el-Sheikh Conference, and we are very pleased with," he added.

Turning to the talks between the two sides, he added, "The Islamic Republic of Iran is in agreement with Iraqi officials on many fields, and we believe that cooperation should be developed among Iraq and other countries."

The Iraqi minister said in conclusion that Iran plays valuable role in the region, noting that expansion of relations between Tehran and Baghdad will be beneficial for both neighboring countries.

AN/1416