Al-Maliki stresses the importance of dialogue in resolving outstanding issues

Baghdad - INA

The head of the State of Law Coalition, Nouri al-Maliki, stressed today, Thursday, the importance of following the language of dialogue in resolving the outstanding issues.

Al-Maliki’s office said in a statement received by the Iraqi News Agency (INA): “The head of the State of Law coalition, Nouri al-Maliki, received in his office today, the Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey to Iraq, Ali Riza Konai,” noting that “at the beginning of the meeting,Konai congratulated Al-Maliki on the occasion of holding the local elections, and the latest political and security developments on the regional and international arenas were also reviewed.

The head of the State of Law coalition stressed "the importance of strengthening bilateral relations between Baghdad and Ankara in a way that achieves the interests of the two neighboring peoples," explaining, "Iraq successfully conducted local elections and is preparing today to form local governments according to the electoral entitlement.".

Regarding the recent events in Iraq and the region, Al-Maliki stressed, “The importance of following the language of dialogue in resolving outstanding issues and avoiding the use of force,” noting that “The Iraqi constitution prohibits the use of its territory to attack neighboring countries, but at the same time all countries must respect Iraq’s sovereignty and the sanctity of its lands.”.

For his part, the Turkish ambassador renewed his country's support for Iraq at various levels, stressing "the importance of strengthening joint efforts to overcome obstacles to developing relations between the two countries."