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Middle East and North Africa

Russia promises Iraq necessary means to fight terrorism

Iraqi Foreign Minister said they plan to hold an international anti-terrorism conference in Baghdad this March

Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari (R) and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (L) EPA/KHALID MOHAMMED / POOL

Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari (R) and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (L)

© EPA/KHALID MOHAMMED / POOL

ABU DHABI, February 20. /ITAR-TASS/. Russia pledged to provide Iraq with all necessary means to fight terrorism, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Mahmud Zebari said after talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on Thursday.

“Russia has agreed to provide Iraq with planes, weapons and special means to fight terrorism,” he said. “This March we plan to hold an international anti-terrorism conference in Baghdad.”

Lavrov, in turn, announced support for the Iraqi authorities’ efforts towards ensuring stability and national accord in that country and expressed solidarity with the Iraqi people in the fight against international terrorism.

The tragic events in Syria have a negative impact on Iraq, Russia's Foreign Ministry said. “There are hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees in Iraq. Illegal armed units continue to penetrate into Iraq. The situation is tense in adjacent Iraqi provinces. At present, Iraqi security forces conduct a special operation against militants, who seize settlements and commit crimes. Up to 200,000 local residents were forced to leave their houses. This fact seriously complicates the humanitarian operation in the country,” the report says.

“Russia believes that all states, which realise the terrorist threat, should express solidarity with Iraq to fight this evil. We uphold the Iraqi government’s efforts and will assist to it. In order to counter the terrorist threat it is necessary to promote a broad inter-Iraqi dialogue in order to normalise the situation and reach national accord ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections,” the ministry said.

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