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Iraq has not asked Moscow for military assistance - Bogdanov

Apparently, the Iraqi authorities do not need the aid, which is needed by the Syrian government, Bogdanov said

MOSCOW, October 21 /TASS/. Iraq has sent no official requests to Russia for military assistance like in Syria, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, the Russian president’s Special Representative for the Middle East and Africa, told TASS on Wednesday.

"We are going to study the request very carefully if we receive it. There is nothing to talk about now," the deputy foreign minister said.

Apparently, the Iraqi authorities do not need the aid, which is needed by the Syrian government, Bogdanov said.

"The fact that we maintain military and technological cooperation with Iraq is a different thing. We have agreements and a huge number of contracts, which have been implemented. This is our assistance to the leadership and state bodies in Iraq that will contribute to the common struggle against terrorism in this country’s territory," the Russian deputy foreign minister stressed.

Earlier, well-known security expert Hisham al-Hashimi said in an interview with Iran’s Fars News Agency that the government in Baghdad would soon ask Moscow for direct military assistance in fighting the Islamic State.