Iran-Russia coop. in region eclipsed US, allies’ role

TEHRAN, Jan. 03 (MNA) – Former Iraqi prime minister and current VP on Tue. hailed the prominent role of Iran and Russia in restoring peace to West Asia, saying the cooperation has diminished the role of US and allies in Syria.
 
Nouri al-Maliki made the remark in a meeting with a number of Iranian officials and scholars on Tuesday in Tehran.
 
He noted the aim of his visit and meeting with Iranian Leader as expanding bilateral relations, finding ways for further coordination in the future, and rescuing the region from the scourge of terrorism.
Those countries that once backed terrorist organizations to defeat Syria and Iraq have now retreated from their positions, he added.
 
Al-Maliki went to stress, however, “ISIL will be soon finished but as you know, the enemies of Iraq are devising new plots against our country.”
“The enemy seeks the disintegration and partitioning of Iraq,” he added. “But they should know that their new plots will fall through just like their previous schemes, because the Iraqi nation is wholly against partitioning and stand united against the enemy.”
 
Al-Maliki maintained that Iraq has opened its doors of cooperation to all countries except the Israeli regime, adding “Iraq has no problem with any Arab countries except for Saudi Arabia, and that is because of all the plots the Saudi regime has devised against us.”