Iran's president calls for expanded security cooperation with Iraq
Sep 10, 2023
Tehran [Iran], September 10: Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Saturday called for the expansion of bilateral security cooperation with Iraq to counter movements by "separatist terrorist groups" in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region.
Raisi made the remarks in a phone call with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani, during which he also stressed that any movement by "separatist terrorist groups" to undermine the regional security cannot be tolerated.
The Iraqi prime minister, for his part, said that the Iraqi government views Iran's security as important as its own, and is completely committed to fighting those who compromise the lasting security in the region.
The Kurdistan Region, a semi-autonomous region in northern Iraq, hosts camps and bases operated by several Kurdish factions, which Iran designates as "separatist terrorists."
Iran and Iraq signed a security agreement in March requiring the latter to disarm the "separatist groups" based in the Kurdistan Region and relocate them to a different camp.
In August, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said anti-Iran "terrorist groups" operating in Iraq's Kurdistan Region must be disarmed and relocated from the border areas by the upcoming deadline of Sept. 19, stressing that the deadline would not be extended, according to the official news agency IRNA.
He said Iran is aware that the Iraqi government has communicated the contents of the agreement to the authorities in the Kurdistan Region, adding that "Iran is now awaiting the implementation of the agreement."
Source: Xinhua
