Iraq seeks to strengthen ties with Russia, but US sanctions hinder it
Iraq seeks to strengthen ties with Russia, but US sanctions hinder it
2024-11-13
Subhan Mulla Jiyad, the political advisor to the Iraqi Prime Minister, confirmed Baghdad’s commitment to strengthening relations with Russia, noting that US sanctions are hindering this. Mulla Jiyad said in an interview with the Russian “Novosti” agency: Iraqi relations with Russia are below the required level, and we seek to create greater and more comprehensive relations with Russia, but US sanctions prevent this and limit our ability to deal with each other and activate the trade balance between us in many aspects.
He added: “We have great respect for the Russian people, and we seek to preserve, develop and advance the historical relations between Iraq and Russia, but unfortunately the American sanctions have acted as a major barrier.”
He said: “We have common positions with Russia on many political issues at the global and Arab levels, and therefore we anticipate and look forward to the return of relations to what they were before.”
Jiyad called on Russia to “get out of the framework of American and Western sanctions in a sound manner and invest in the atmosphere to end the Ukrainian crisis and return to the international community more effectively.”
It is worth noting that on September 12, the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs organized a celebration on the occasion of the eightieth anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Iraq and Russia at the Ministry’s headquarters in Baghdad.
The Undersecretary of the Ministry for Bilateral Relations, Mohammed Hussein, delivered a speech on behalf of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fuad Hussein, in which he expressed his pride in the historical relations between the two countries.
In return, the Russian Federation Ambassador to Iraq, Alibrus Kutrashev, praised the depth of bilateral relations between the two friendly countries, and the agreement of views on international and regional issues, and stressed that the relationship between Baghdad and Moscow is based on the principle of respecting mutual interests, noting that Iraq represents a strategic partner for Russia in the region.
burathanews.com
