BAGHDAD, Jan. 25 — Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said Saturday that Iraq should not solely bear the security and financial burdens of Islamic State (IS) detainees, and the responsibility for addressing the issue rests with all relevant countries.
Hussein made the remarks during a phone call with European Union (EU) High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, according to a statement by the Iraqi Foreign Ministry.
The two officials discussed the developments in Syria, particularly the recent escape of IS members from prisons previously controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the statement read.
They underlined the necessity of sustaining the ceasefire in Syria’s northeastern Hasakah province and resolving conflicts through peaceful means.
Both sides further highlighted the importance of an active European role in supporting talks between the SDF and the Syrian interim government to reach binding agreements.
Hussein also reviewed the results of his recent visit to Iran, and the two sides exchanged views on EU relations in light of the “tense and dangerous” regional situation, it said.
For her part, Kallas expressed her gratitude to the Iraqi government for its initial agreement to receive the IS detainees from Syria, the statement said.
The discussion follows Iraq’s recent reception of the first 150 IS detainees transferred from Syria. U.S. Central Command said the detainees were moved from a detention facility in Hasakah to a secure location in Iraq.
The transfer is part of a broader plan that could eventually see up to 7,000 IS detainees relocated to Iraqi-controlled facilities.
On Friday, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani urged countries around the world, particularly EU members, to repatriate their nationals detained for links to the IS, during a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron. (Namibia Daily News/Xinhua)
