BAGHDAD, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Arab League (AL) on Saturday confirmed its keenness to preserve Iraq's unity and revive dialogue between Baghdad and the Kurdistan region ahead of the latter's independence referendum, a statement by Iraqi Prime Minister Abadi's office said.
Arab League (AL) Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit on Saturday met here with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to confirm AL's keenness to preserve Iraq's unity and revive dialogue between Baghdad and the Kurdistan region ahead of the latter's independence referendum.
A statement by Abadi's office said the two sides "discussed the political and security developments in Iraq and the region and the fight against terrorism, as well as the victories achieved on the terrorist gangs."
Aboul-Gheit "reiterated the AL keenness on the unity of Iraq and not to provoke any problems that would destabilize its security, stability and unity," the statement added.
The AL chief urged Iraqi leaders to focus on "completing the liberation of Iraq's territory and resorting to dialogue, as well as to abiding by the Iraqi constitution to resolve any problems," it said.
After the discussion, Aboul-Gheit is scheduled to fly to Arbil, the capital of the Kurdish semi-autonomous region, to meet with the regional President Masoud Barzani to revive a constructive political dialogue between the two sides.
On June 7, Barzani announced his intention to hold a referendum on the independence of the Kurdish region from Iraq on Sept. 25, a step which has been criticized by Baghdad as "unconstitutional and illegal."
The referendum is opposed by other countries including the Iraqi neighbors of Iran and Turkey, which both have sizeable Kurdish minorities of their own.
