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Iran says plans for more US meetings
AFP
BAGHDAD
Petroleumworld.com 05 29 07Iranian ambassador to Iraq Hassan Kazemi Qomi described his landmark meeting with his US counterpart in Baghdad on Monday as a success and said there were plans for future meetings.
"Generally there was a positive fruit from this round of negotiations... (they) were an important first step between the two sides," he told reporters.
"The Iraqi government said it will invite the two sides to resume neogotiations and we received this proposal positively."
Kazemi Qomi added, however, that he would have to consult with Tehran first, and one of his assistants said that no date had been set for the follow-up meeting.
"If it is possible, it will happen," the assistant said.
Kazemi Qomi said he told US ambassador Ryan Crocker about the importance of Iraqi forces assuming control of security in the country, and said that they needed to be provided with the necessary equipment to achieve this.
"During this negotiation," he added. "There was a proposal to form a security commission backed by the Iraqi government to help it defend the country."
Crocker dismissed the idea of a tripartite US-Iran-Iraq commission, pointing out that further meetings were not necessarily the solution to Iraq's continuing crisis.
The US accuses Iran of destabilising Iraq by providing sophisticated weapons to non-government armed groups, while the Iranians say that the ongoing American occupation is provoking civil strife.
AFP 28 1510 GMT 05 07
Copyright© 2007 AFP. All Rights Reserved.
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