Ambassadors from Iran and US will meet in Baghdad on May 28 to apparently see what can be done to bring back the tensed relations back on track. The move will help to resolve the issues like growing violence, US allegations on Iran to help insurgents in Iraq and widening discontent among the Iraqi people against the coalition forces for civilian casualties. Manouchehr Mottaki, Iranian foreign minister, however, insisted that the talks would only include discussions on Iraqi tumult.
It will be first ever ambassador level talks between the two hostile nations since Iran’s Islamic revolution in 1979. “The talks will strictly be focused on the security situation in Iraq,” Mottaki said and added that the talks would be held in the presence of Iraqi officials.
Iran and US has soured relations since 1979 and US finally broke its relations in 1980 when the radical students held US diplomats hostage for more than one year. However, Iran reiterated that its policy to denounce negotiation with US would remain unchanged.
This is a second positive step since Iran took a step Last month with Syria to join US in Egypt conference that was aimed to acquire cooperation from Iraqi neighbors and to put checks on infiltrations in Iraq. It didn’t however, proved successful as Mottaki refused an official meeting with his US counterpart Condoleezza Rice.
Finally, the two hostile nations have agreed to meet in Baghdad for second time with Iraq peace on agenda. Cooperation of Iraqi Neighbors viz. Iran and Syria will be crucial factor to decide the benchmarks to safeguard the peace and stability in Iraq. It’s a welcome step of Iran that not only will pacify its relations with US but also will be instrumental in relieving the pain and suffering of Iraqi people.
Image Credit: Lazerbrody
Source: CNN
