Iraq rectifies its error with Algeria

Iraqi Parliament’s Speaker Salim Djabouri informed the Ambassador of his country to Algiers Abderrahmane Hamed Husseini that Bagdad wants to develop bilateral relations.

According to a release posted by the Iraqi Embassy on its website, Djabouri called Husseini on June 26th and talked with him about the development of Iraqi-Algerian relations.

Earlier, the Iraqi Embassy issued a release saying it facilitated travel procedures to Bagdad for “religious visit.” This was considered as a “call for spreading Shia doctrine.”

This was followed by a meeting between the Algerian religious affairs and the Iraqi Ambassador and the release was immediately deleted. Afterwards, the Embassy said it is only concerned by “developing diplomatic relations between the two countries and the fabricated media campaign is based on lies and can not be believed.”

It also added that “campaign will not affect Iraqi-Algerian relations which reached a high level of maturity.”

Algerian religious affairs minister Mohamed Aissa said he hopes that the “Iraqi Embassy should respect the Algerian people’s beliefs, Constitution and laws.”

Spokesman for the Iraqi foreign ministry Ahmed Jamal Thursday said some advertisements are posted by Iraqi embassies about visiting holy places in Bagdad have nothing to do with spreading any doctrine.