TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Manucherh Mottaki has called for a timetable to be set up for the withdrawal of the occupying forces from Iraq.

In light of the fact that the Iraqi government is ready to run the country and that the management of different areas of the country has been transferred to the Iraqi government, there is no need for the country to remain under the Chapter VII of the UN Charter anymore, Mottaki told Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari on the sidelines of the annual session of the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday.
According to Chapter VII, the UN Security Council shall determine the existence of any threat to the peace, breach of the peace, or act of aggression and shall make recommendations; it also gives the Military Staff Committee accountability for strategic coordination of forces led by the UN Security Council.
“Under the current situation, it is necessary to set up a schedule for the occupying forces to pull out of Iraq as the continuation of their presence leads to insecurity and instability,” Mottaki said.
He expressed satisfaction with the ongoing expansion of political, economic, cultural and, border partnership between Tehran and Baghdad.
The Iranian foreign minister emphasized the need for utilizing all potential in Tehran-Baghdad relations which would serve the interests of both countries.
Zebari, for his part, briefed Mottaki on the latest developments in Iraq particularly the upcoming presidential election, saying that the security in Iraq is improving.
He added that Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinijad’s visit to Iraq in March has drawn international and regional attention to the country.
Zebari described the meetings between the senior officials of the two countries as positive and constructive