As he met in conference with Masoud Barzani, leader of the Democratic Party of Kurdistan, President Khatami emphatically called to prevent splits within and between Iraqi religious and ethnic communities, reports the presidential staff press service.
"We were always together in hard times. Now, we are willing to give a hand so as to speed up the neighbouring country's progress and establish peace and quiet there," reassured the President.
What Iraq needs most now are favourable conditions for elections to be obtained as soon as possible and, just as important, in a peaceful atmosphere. Iraqis, no matter Shi'ite or Sunni, must go to the polls and form ruling institutions so as to establish security in their land. President Khatami is sure on that point.
Meanwhile, foreign military presence whips up certain terrorist movements' activity, he warned.
The stances of Ayatollah Al-Sistani, prominent among the Shi'a, are of major influence on Iraqi security and progress, the President emphatically added.
Masoud Barzani, in his turn, said all Iraqi officials were looking forward to goodneighbourly relations with all countries on which Iraq borders-especially with Iran.
There are two legal political parties in Iraqi Kurdistan. The Democratic Party, or DPK, established in 1946, has control of the Iraqi territory bordering on Turkey. The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, led by Jellal Talibani, split off from the DPK in the mid-1970s to control the area along the Iranian frontier.
Masoud Barzani, prominent on the Kurd national liberation movement, succeeded to DPK leadership after Mustafa Barzani, his father, died in 1979. He said once he was ready to raise Kurds for an insurrection in case Turkish troops entered Iraqi Kurdistan on the US-led anti-Saddam operation.
Iraqis predominantly an Arab country, and a Kurd hardly has any chance to lead it, even in the distant future, point out international political analysts. Masoud Barzani can, however, aspire for a high post in the Kurd autonomy, if it is eventually established, or for a portfolio in the Iraqi government.
