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Russian Foreign Ministry says countries have no right to settle scores on Iraqi soil

According to the diplomat, Moscow expects the domestic political situation in Iraq to improve following the formation of a new government

© EPA-EFE/YAHYA NEMAH, archive

MOSCOW, April 17. /TASS/. Other countries have no right to use Iraqi soil to settle scores with each other, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing on Friday.

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"We believe that decisions about the presence of foreign troops in Iraq, including US troops, should be made through dialogue based on respect for Iraq’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. We consider attempts to use Iraqi soil for settling scores between countries to be unacceptable because such actions run counter to international law, violate Iraq’s sovereignty and harm the country’s national interests," Zakharova pointed out.

According to her, Moscow expects the domestic political situation in Iraq to improve following the formation of a new government. "We believe that Mustafa al-Kazemi, nominated for Prime Minister, will succeed in achieving this goal as, according to available information, most of the Iraqi parliamentary factions are ready to support him," the Russian diplomat added.

On January 3, a US drone strike near Baghdad's airport killed General Qasem Soleimani, the head of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force. Iran targeted Iraq’s Ain Al-Asad air base and a facility in Erbil, which house US troops, in retaliation for the attack. On April 9, Iraqi President Barham Salih ordered intelligence chief Mustafa al-Kazem to form a new cabinet.

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