LOC01:01
22:01 GMT
By Tareq BuHaimed
ISTANBUL, Nov 2 (KUNA) -- Baghdad Friday underlined strong relations with
Ankara, but regretted a conference of Iraq's neighbours would be held in
Turkey amidst "difficult and sensitive" circumstances resulted from Kurdish
rebels' attacks against Turkey.
Baghdad is pinning high hopes on Turkey to play a pivotal role within the
conference of the neighbouring countries of Iraq, in order to tackle economic
and security problems primarily the situation in northern Iraq, Labid Abawi,
Iraqi foreign Undersecretary, told KUNA following a preparatory meeting of the
Iraq's ministerial neighborhoud conference.
Conferees aim at discussing means of supporting Iraq overcome hardships,
namely in security domain, and how to beef up the political process, Abawi
added.
The atmosphere of the conference is "assuring" due to the high-level
representation from the European Union (EU), the eight giant industrial
countries, the UN, the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Conference
(OIC), noted Abawi.
Such participation reflect desire of the international community to help
the Iraqis, he said, but expressed regret because the conference was held
amidst difficult times because of "the terrorist actions carried out by the
Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) inside the Turkish territories."
Turkey and Iraq, said Abawi, were determined to work hand-in-hand to
suppress the PKK. Iraq, he went on, was keen on not allowing the PKK to use
Iraqi territories to launch attacks against Turkey or any other neighbouring
country.
Turning to the ministerial conference, Abawi said they would discuss
terrorism in general and border control in particular.
Abawi, who thanked Kuwait for the endless support for Iraq, said the
conferees would not discuss the PKK-Turkish issue. (pickup previous)
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