Mehr News Agency carried out a written interview with the president of Iraq, Fouad Ma’soum of which outlines follow:
In the response to the first question relating to the cooperation between Iran and Iraq, regarding their competition in OPEC, Fouad Ma’soum said: the relations between Iran and Iraq has during past years gone past convergence and reached a common action which is the founder of strong relations accordance with constructive agreement and cooperation between two countries. He added: oil policy of Iran and Iraq as two members of OPEC has to be obedient of taken decisions according to this organization. Iraq tries the unity of members of OPEC and agreement as the main discipline in the organization operation.
Fouad Ma’soum, in a response to a question about Iraqi government’s look toward security arrangement and the role of transregional countries like America and England in this arrangement, said: the policy of Iraq is accordance with peaceful coexistence and its priority is security and healthy in a convergent regional environment in order to improve and peace. All the regional countries have the right to create their international strategic relations with whether America, England, European countries, Russia or China according to what they wish to. However what is important for us as neighboring countries desiring to meet coexistence principle is not to enter those coalitions which tend to balkanize the region and no to use the our strategic relations with great countries in the field of offending and causing insecurity among neighboring countries in the region.
Pointing the existence of intelligence center in Baghdad shared with Iran, Russia, Syria and Iraq, Mehr News Agency, relating to develop these cooperation and possibility for Iraq to demand Moscow in order to raise airstrikes from Syria to Iraq, asked Fouad Ma-soum. He replied that there is the possibility to cooperate with these countries. We are totally prepared to constructively cooperate to destroy terrorism getting a universal threat that we all are suffering; this treat is not limited just to a country or region. Humanity responsibility makes such cooperation occurs. Intelligence cooperation and synchronization among given countries have occurred and are ongoing and this is vital. But I do not believe that in present conditions Baghdad like Syria will ask Russia to attack ISIS in Iraq.
Concerning balancing policy in foreign policy of Iraq, among countries supporting terrorism and its opponents, Ma’soum said: this principle is true and we follow it. Many countries gradually understand the effect of this has opted by Iraq even at different times. Our relations with Saudi Arabia are developing but slowly. To slowly develop is better than nothing. Saudi Arabia has offered a $ 500 million help to Iraq; we came to an agreement to develop bilateral relations in our recent trip to Riyadh when visiting the Saudi king. In addition there has been a proper space to exchange information about terrorists’ movements between interior secretaries of Iraq and Saudi Arabia.
About balkanization of Iraq, cited by some America like Joe Biden, the president said: this is untrue and unreal. Never have such issue put in any meeting, conference or negotiations. We have not heard such talking from any sides; they are just media uproar. Furthermore relating to National Guard of Iraq and its effect on the army Ma’soum was asked and he replied: it was put accordance with the agreement among political fractions as current government got formed and it related general commander of armed forces of Iraq so called the P.M. the job of national guard of Iraq covers all over the country, not special regions. He also, about the role of public forces of Iraq fighting against Takfirists, said: volunteer public forces have been organized to fight ISIS in Iraq and as it is known this occurred by Ayatollah Sistani’s judgment after ISIS’s sudden attack to Iraq and Mosul’s fall. The purpose of formation of these forces was to defend Baghdad and other cities of Iraq; therefore public forces along with armed forces, Peshmerga and volunteers have patriotic mission to fight ISIS in the direction of defending Iraq and freeing tons and countries occupied. It is not possible to discard public forces for fighting ISIS since they are carrying out a national role they have been assigned.