PM stresses best of relations with all countries

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki stressed on Friday his government’s keenness to build the best of relations with countries of the region and the world based on common interests and mutual respect, a cabinet press release said on Friday. “Prime Minister Maliki received on Friday a U.S. Congress delegation for a meeting attended by U.S. ambassador in Baghdad Christopher Hill,” read the release as received by Iraqi News. “The Iraqi government would not allow any interference in the country’s internal affairs inasmuch as it is keen on not to interfere in others’ internal affairs,” the prime minister said. The Congressmen vehemently denounced the recent bombing attacks that targeted the “state institutions and innocent civilians”. The U.S. delegation reiterated commitment to the long-term security pact with Iraq and support for the Iraqi government’s efforts to preserve the country’s security and stability as well as the development of the Iraqi economy and reconstruction efforts. On Thursday (Aug. 3), Maliki received in Baghdad the heads of Arab and foreign diplomatic missions in Iraq over the crisis with Syria. Iraqi-Syrian relations have been recently strained after the bloody Aug. 19 bombing attacks that left 82 people killed and 1203 others wounded. The Iraqi government accused Baathists residing in Syria of involvement in the blasts and called on Syria to hand them over. AmR (S) 1