STATEMENT BY DR. KAMAL KHARRAZI,
FOREIGN MINISTER OF IRAN

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Tehran, Iran

11 November 2000

Iranian foreign minister Dr. Kamal Kharrazi called for lifting the UN sanctions against Iraq, saying the sanctions have caused many sufferings to the Iraqi people.

Currently in Doha, Qatar, to attend the 9th OIC ministerial meeting Dr. Kharrazi told reporters Iraq and Iran had embassies in each other's capitals and exchanged diplomatic relations at charge d'affaires level, upgrading those relations to the level of ambassadors would depend on resolving pending issues that remained from wartime, and these issues had to be resolved before upgrading those relations.

He said that some of those issues were humanitarian, including the exchange of POWs and the remains of those killed in the war. Settlement of those issues could lead to establishment of good ties and good neighborliness.

Commenting on returning Iraqi planes, Dr. Kharrazi said the two sides had set up some committees to handle the issue.

As for relations with the U.S., Dr. Kharrazi said, "There has been no change in the US relations toward Iran over the past years. So it depends on the new president who comes to the White House office, it remains to be seen whether he is interested in developing relations with Iran".