Leader's Top Aide:

Iran, EU Oppose Disintegration Plots in Syria, Iraq

Rasa - Iranian Supreme Leader's top aide for international affairs Ali Akbar Velayati underlined that his country and the European Union are against the plots hatched to disintegrate the regional states, including Iraq and Syria.

News ID: 431476

Date: 05 August 2017 - 22:52

RNA - Velayati made the remarks in Tehran on Saturday after a meeting with EU foreign policy Chief Federica Mogherini.

"Both of us believe that the territorial integrity of the regional states, including Syria and Iraq, should be maintained and we are against any measure which disintegrates these countries," he told reporters.

Velayati also underscored Iran's opposition to an independence referendum in the regional states which will lead to their disintegration, and said, "The EU is also against any separatism and measure which paves the ground for separatism."

"As I mentioned earlier, certain groups in some countries are after independence of a certain part of an independent country through holding referendum and Iran's position in this regard is fully clear and the EU shares Iran's position too," he underlined.

In relevant remarks on Sunday, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani warned that plots against Iraq's territorial integrity will pave the ground for insecurity and instability in the country.

"The separatist approaches can prepare the ground for increased greed in enemies and stir insecurity and instability in the country in future," Shamkhani said in a meeting with Iraqi Defense Minister Irfan al-Hayali in Tehran.

He also underscored Iran's continued support for the Iraqi people and Armed Forces to establish full security, remove the danger of terrorist groups and reconstruct and develop the country's cities.

Al-Hayali, for his part, appreciated Iran's generous support for Iraq in the fight against terrorism, and said, "The Iraqi army confronts any aggression and occupation of the country's soil independently and relying on the experience that it has gained in recent years and will not allow the start of a new plot by the Takfiri terrorists and their foreign supporters who are after disintegration of Iraq."

Also, on Tuesday, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi underscored serious opposition to Kurdistan region's bid to arrange a referendum for independence, describing it as illegal and a big mistake.

"The referendum for independence of the (Kurdistan) region is a very big mistake which is not legal and will bear no positive results and instead will add to the existing problems and therefore, we are strongly opposed to it," al-Abadi said.

Stressing that the Iraqi officials should move in line with people's interests, he said that "separating from Iraq's integrated government will not be to the benefit of our Kurdish citizens".

Al-Abadi underlined that there is no opposition to the federalization of Iraq based on the constitution, and doubted if even one single problem of Kurdistan would be solved through separation from the central government.

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