WORLD> Middle East
Iraq's neighbors rejects using Iraqi lands as base for attack
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-11-24 08:52

DAMASCUS -- Iraq's neighboring countries on Sunday rejected using Iraq's lands, waters or airspace as a corridor or base to launch attacks against its neighbors.

They made the rejection in a final statement at the end of the third meeting of the Security Cooperation and Coordination Committee for Iraq's neighboring countries.

Representatives from Syria, Jordan, Kuwait, Egypt, Bahrain, Turkey, Iran and Iraq took part in the one-day meeting here on Sunday.

The participants underlined their rejection of using Iraqi lands or any of the neighboring countries as a base to launch any terrorist acts that pose a threat to the stability of Iraq and any of the neighboring countries, said the statement.

They praised the noticeable improvement in Iraq's security status as terrorist attacks had significantly declined, underlining that border control is a common responsibility between Iraq and its neighbors.

They stressed the necessity of cooperation between Iraq and its neighbors in the fields of combating terrorism and organized crime, exchange of information and thwarting trespassing operations, as well as drying out terrorist financial resources.

The participants also underlined respect for Iraq's territorial integrity and unity as well as preserving its Arab and Islamic identity, condemning all terrorist acts and aggressions targeting security of Iraq and the neighboring countries.

International organizations including the Arab League, the United Nations, the Organization of Islamic Conference, and permanent members of the UN Security Council and the Group of Eight also participated in the meeting.

The first two meetings of the security coordination committee were also held in Damascus in April and August 2007 respectively.