Russia to support Iraq’s plea for extension of int’l force’s mandate

YEREVAN, October 20 (Itar-Tass) -- Russia will support Iraq’s request to the U.N. Security Council for an extension of the international military presence in that country, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday.

“There are international troops in Iraq in accordance with a U.N. Security Council mandate,” Larvov said.

“If the government of Iraq asks for the mandate of these troops to be extended, Russia will certainly support it,” he said.

Lavrov is accompanying Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on a visit to Armenia.

“We are confident that it would be wrong to speak about a complete and immediate withdrawal of all foreign troops from Iraq now,” Lavrov said. “It is important to determine the timeframe for the start of such withdrawal, and this is the position of the Iraqi government.”

“We support the government of Iraq as far as the need to ensure the sovereignty of Iraq on its own territory is concerned. And this also concerns who will have the jurisdiction over foreign troops in Iraq,” the minister said.
TASS