WASHINGTON, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Senior U.S. diplomat
Christopher Hill, President Barack Obama's pick for U.S. ambassador to Iraq,
said here on Wednesday that Iran is a "real problem" for the stability of Iraq.
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for
East Asian and Pacific Affairs Christopher Hill testifies before the
Senate Foreign Relations Committee for his nomination to be the U.S.
ambassador to Iraq, on Capitol Hill in Washington, March 25, 2009.
(Xinhua/Zhang Yan) Photo
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Speaking to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee,
Hill said that his top priorities in Iraq include to help Iraq hold successful
parliamentary elections, pass a long-delayed law on oil revenue-sharing, and
improve relations between Iraq and its neighboring countries.
However, Hill said: "The real problem in the region for Iraq remains its ancient neighbor, Iran." He said once an ongoing review of U.S.-Iran relations concludes that he should pursue high-level contacts with Iranian diplomats, he would be "most pleased to do that."
Hill was Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian
and Pacific Affairs, and worked for almost four years as the chief of the U.S.
delegation to the so-called six-party talks, a multilateral mechanism on the
Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, before he got the new assignment in late
February.
WASHINGTON, March 24 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack Obama delivered a message to Iran by videotape last week on Nowruz, the traditional Iranian new year, offering a "new beginning" with Tehran.
That demonstration by the new U.S. president to "extend an olive branch" to the Islamic Republic has sparked controversy. Full story
TEHRAN, March 20 (Xinhua) -- Iran on Friday welcomed U.S. President Barack Obama's video message for a "new beginning" of engagement with the Islamic Republic, but still urged Washington to take "concrete" action of change.
"Mr. Obama has talked of change, but has taken no practical measures to redress America' past mistakes in Iran," Ali Akbar Javanfekr, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's press advisor, was quoted by Iran's Press TV as saying, while welcoming Obama's wish to seek constructive ties despite differences. Full story
BAGHDAD, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said on Monday that Iraq has serious problems with Iran on defining their land and sea borders despite improved bilateral ties between the two countries.
"We have very serious problems with Iran over demarcations
of land, sea and coastal borders," Zebari said in an interview with the Iraqi
television of al-Sharqiya. Full story
TEHRAN, Feb. 28 (Xinhua)
-- Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah AliKhamenei warned Saturday that the United
States was planning a "long-term stay" in Iraq, Iran's Press TV reported.
"The occupiers are preparing the ground for a long-term
stay in Iraq. This is a serious matter which Iraqi authorities should not
neglect," Khamenei said in a meeting with visiting Iraqi President Jalal
Talabani. Full story
AMMAN, Oct.
23 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Interior Minister Ali Kordan, who is attending a meeting
of the interior ministers of countries neighboring Iraq, urged here Thursday for
U.S. troops' speedy withdrawal from Iraq.
The U.S.-led allied forces no longer had any justification
to remain in Iraq, Kordan told reporters. Full story
TEHRAN, June 9 (Xinhua) --
Iran and Iraq inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to boost bilateral
defense cooperation on Monday, the official IRNA news agency reported.
Visiting Iraqi Defense Minister Lieutenant General Abdul
Qadir Mohammed Jassim Obeidi al- Mifarji signed the MoU with his Iranian
counterpart Brigadier General Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar, said the report. Full story
TEHRAN, June 9 (Xinhua) --
Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Monday wrapped up his three-day visit to
Iran in which he sought to expand ties between the two countries and reassure
Tehran over Baghdad's planned security pact with Washington.
Shortly before al-Maliki left Tehran Monday, Iraqi
Defense Minister Lieutenant General Abdul Qadir Mohammed Jassim Obeidi
al-Mifarji and his Iranian counterpart Brigadier General Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar
inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to boost bilateral defense
cooperation. Full story
TEHRAN, June 9 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Supreme Leader
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told visiting Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on
Monday that the presence of U.S.-led forces in Iraq is the country's fundamental
problem.
"The most fundamental problem of Iraq is the presence
of foreign forces in that country," state television quoted Khamenei as saying
in his meeting with Maliki in Tehran. Full story
TEHRAN, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told
visiting Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Sunday that he hopes the Iraqi
government will successfully overcome the present sensitive situation, the
official IRNA news agency reported.
"The oppressed Iraqi people have experienced very
tough situation over the past decades ... the country is now experiencing a very
sensitive situation," Ahmadinejad said in a meeting with al-Maliki in Tehran. Full story
TEHRAN, June 8 (Xinhua) --
Iran and Iraq vowed Sunday to expand their defense cooperation, Iran's official
IRNA news agency reported.
Iranian Defense Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar and
his visiting Iraqi counterpart Abdul Qadir Mohammed Jassim Obeidi al-Mifarji
voiced the intention during their meeting. Full story
TEHRAN, June 8 (Xinhua)-- Iran's Secretary of Supreme National Security Council
(SNSC) Saeed Jalili said on Sunday that the Islamic Republic is ready to use all
its experiences to help restore peace and stability to Iraq, the official IRNA
news agency reported on Sunday.
Endorsing the Iraqi government's efforts in restoring
security, stability and peace to Iraq, Jalili said during his meeting with
visiting Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki that the Iraqi people need a
powerful democratic government and that the Iraqi government is able to overcome
all internal and external issues with the help of its people. Full story
