Iraqi President Jalal Talabani has said Baghdad will not let armed forces use its territory against the Islamic Republic of Iran.
In a meeting with Governor General of Iran’s western Kurdestan Province Ismaeil Najjar and his accompanying delegation, Talabani added Iraqi border guards have received necessary orders regarding the case.
Iraqi border guards are duty-bound to firmly counter any armed forces who intend to infiltrate into the Iranian territory, IRNA quoted the president as saying.
He said Iraq believes that under the current regional and international circumstances, armed clashes have the same meaning as terrorism; stressing Baghdad would not allow terrorists to use its soil against neighboring countries.
Iraq will spare no effort to help Iran fight against terrorist groups and has the same expectation from Iran, as an old friend to the Iraqi nation, Talabani added.
He called for expansion of amicable ties with Iran particularly in border regions with respect to bonds between the Iranian and Iraqi nations.
He said the Iranian nation has always supported the Iraqi people, adding opening an official crossing checkpoint at Bashmaq boder was another humanitarian aid by Iran which would cause a big economic development in the region.
Najjar, for his part, said legalization of the checkpoint was a dream of local residents of Iran’s Kurdestan and Iraqi Sulaimaniyah Provinces which came true during Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s visit to Kurdestan.
He added that legalization of the checkpoint on Thursday, which was already used as an unofficial border crossing by locals, would prepare the ground for bolstering bilateral relations in all fields.
Press TV, July 29, 2007
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=17735§ionid=351020101