SIMFEROPOL, April 11. /TASS/. Iraq’s parliament is planning to establish friendly relations with Crimea, MP and leader of the country’s Al-Ahrar parliamentary bloc Dhiaa Najm Abdullah Al-Asadi said on Monday.
Al-Asadi, who arrived in the Black Sea peninsula for the first time on a two-day visit earlier on Monday, said: "I’m very glad that the visit coincides with the celebration of Crimea’s Constitution Day."
"We at the Iraqi parliament seek to build good ties with Russia and Crimea so that the relations between the Iraqi and Crimean people, the Iraqi and Russian governments become better," he said.
The lawmaker also expressed hope that the respective regulations confirming the friendly relations of Iraq and Russia will be adopted by both countries. "I hope that in the near future there will be laws in Iraq and here in Crimea that ease and improve relations of Iraq and Russia," he said.
Iraqi MPs' visit to Crimea
Iraq’s delegation headed by leader of the Al-Ahrar parliamentary bloc Dhiaa Najm Abdullah Al-Asadi arrived in Crimea on Monday, the press service of the republic’s parliament said.
At the Simferopol international airport, the guest was greeted by the deputy chairman of the Crimean Republic’s State Council Remzi Ilyasov and deputy prime minister of the Crimean government Georgiy Muradov, it said.
Ilyasov said the visit of the Iraqi politician to Crimea is "the acknowledgement of Russia’s efforts to fight against international terrorism, to achieve political settlement in the Middle East and contribute to fulfilling national rights of the Iraqi people in creating a viable and sovereign state."
"The military action of the US, the UK and their allies against Iraq and most important, the UN silence and disregard of Russia’s opinion was a great political mistake that turned the Middle East into the hotbed of international terrorism that spread to Iraq’s neighbor states," Ilyasov was quoted by the Crimean parliament’s press service as saying.
"All these years we have been witnessing the continuing violence, bloodshed, acts of terror, interethnic and ethno-confessional hatred. Unfortunately, all these crazy actions became a tragic everyday reality for the Iraqi people," he said.
Al-Asadi said that he is proud of his friendship with Russia and thanked the authorities for the invitation to visit the Crimean Peninsula. He voiced hope that Crimea’s political, economic and cultural ties with Iraq will further develop, according to the Crimean republic’s parliament, the State Council.
During the visit, the members of Iraq’s delegation are expected to hold business meetings with the republic’s leadership. Al-Asadi will also take part in events marking the second anniversary of the adoption of Crimea’s constitution. The guests will visit Sevastopol, Yalta and Bakhchysarai.