TEHERAN - Iran on Saturday welcomed comments by Iraq that it had not repudiated a 32-year-old border treaty over which the countries waged a decade of war. Iraqi President Jalal Talabani’s office said on Thursday the Algiers Treaty was ‘valid and not void’, after telling journalists on Monday it had been ‘voided by the current government’.
The treaty was signed in 1975 by Saddam Hussein, IraqÂ’s then vice president, and IranÂ’s former Shah and defined the border between the two neighbours.
| Also defined the division of the Shatt al-Arab which today is very important to both countries. |
TalabaniÂ’s earlier remarks threatened to reopen a border dispute that caused the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war. TalabaniÂ’s comments provoked widespread condemnation from Iran, with many parliamentarians saying a change of government should not damage the credibility of the treaty.
But Talabani’s latest comments were welcomed by Iran’s Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki. ‘We support Talabani’s recent stance that the 1975 treaty between Iran and Iraq is valid,’ Mottaki was quoted as saying by the students news agency ISNA. ‘This view can be a strong basis for Iran and Iraq’s relations.’
Talabani’s office in its statement said on Thursday that his remarks had not repudiated the treaty but Iraq nonetheless had some ‘reservations’ about it and wanted talks with Iran for an agreement. Mottaki did not comment about the call for talks. |