By John Lee.
Iraq's prime minister has pledged to pursue corruption cases without exception, seek a fairer OPEC production quota, and announce a political and economic partnership with the United States, in a wide-ranging interview broadcast on Al Arabiya.
Ali al-Zaidi told Al Arabiya that anti-corruption efforts would be pursued without regard to sectarian, ethnic, or political affiliation, and that those implicated have no option but to return misappropriated funds. He said the government's cooperation with the judiciary is at a high level, with both sharing the goal of recovering public money.
On the question of armed factions, al-Zaidi said dialogue is under way and that their activities will subsequently shift to the political and social sphere. Once a stated deadline passes, he said, weapons will be monopolised entirely by official state institutions and security forces.
Al-Zaidi said delays in dollar shipments had been caused by disruptions to air navigation linked to regional conditions, but that cash transfers have since resumed on schedule. He added that Iraq will announce a political partnership and economic cooperation agreement with the United States, and that Iraq seeks to facilitate rapprochement between Washington and Tehran.
On regional economic ties, al-Zaidi said Iraq is pursuing an economic partnership with Saudi Arabia, describing the two countries as strategic depth for each other. He also said Iraq, as a founding member of OPEC, will not leave the organisation but will seek a fair and equitable production share.
On the Kurdistan Region, al-Zaidi said the government intends to resolve outstanding issues with the Kurdistan Regional Government rather than defer them.
(Source: PMO)
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