Tehran Calls on Baghdad, Iraqi Kurds to Discuss Looming Kurdistan Referendum

Tehran supports the negotiations between Iraq and the autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan amid the latter's plan to hold an independence referendum in September, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi said Tuesday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Qassemi said as quoted by the Fars news agency that the internal talks between Erbil and Baghdad should "resolve issues" between the parties in the run up to the referendum on independence.

The minister stressed the achievements of the Iraqi people in fighting terror and liberating the territories, which had been occupied by the Daesh terror group (banned in Russia).

The spokesman added that Iran was seeking the best-possible relations with all of Iraq's political, social, ethnic and religious bodies.

Baghdad has been sharply criticizing the Kurds' decision to hold the vote on the issue of independence.

Despite that the High Electoral and Referendum Commission (IHEC) of Iraqi Kurdistan on Monday approved September 25 as the date for the referendum on the region’s independence from Iraq.

Earlier in the day, Russian ambassador to Iraq Maksim Maksimov told Sputnik that Russia supported Iraq’s territorial integrity and called on Baghdad and Kurdistan’s government to begin a dialogue on all disputed topics, and agree on mutually acceptable principles and forms of coexistence.