Sistani to Rouhani: Iraq's sovereignty must be respected
Iraq's top Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, met with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in the Iraqi city of Najaf, where Sistani stressed the necessity of respecting Iraq's sovereignty.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani concluded his three-day trip to Iraq, departing from Najaf airport on the evening of March 13. On his last day, he met with Iraq's top Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.
During the meeting, Sistani highlighted the importance of respecting Iraqi sovereignty. “Iraq faces three important challenges: fighting corruption, improving services and keeping weapons in the hands of the state,” Sistani told Rouhani, according to a statement issued by Sistani's office.
Sistani welcomed “any steps to strengthen Iraq’s relations with its neighbors,” but affirmed that they should be “based on respect for the sovereignty of the countries with no interference in domestic affairs.”
Sistani also stressed “the necessity of adopting moderate regional and international policies in this sensitive region to avoid disasters for its nations,” referring to the escalating hostility between Iran and Saudi Arabia that shakes the region at times.
