Russia's ambassador to Iraq, Elbrus Kotrashev, emphasized that the crisis over the formation of the Iraqi government was not the first time that it had occurred.
All members of the Shiite Coordination Committee, known as the Attar al-Tansiqi (Coordination Framework), are our friends, Nas News reported, quoting Kotrashif. "The issue of forming a national sovereign state is an internal Iraqi issue in which we will not interfere."
"Russia's position is not in favor of any political group," he said.
The only thing that demands Russian interests is "an end to the conflict inside Iraq and the formation of a government. "Russia has no concern that someone will take power, but our concern is that political problems will lead to the use of weapons and violence."
Moscow's ambassador to Baghdad continued:
Some countries are trying to make Iraq the scene of international settlements ... In the internal affairs of Iraq, we do not prefer one side over the other, but we have good relations with all parties ... Ammar Al-Hakim, Hammam Hamoudi, Nouri Al-Maliki, Hadi Al-Amiri and Faleh Al-Fayadh are all our friends and we hope they will reach an agreement.
"Russia always plays a role in reaching an agreement between the Iraqi factions, and" whatever the Iraqis agree on, we agree on, "Kutrashev said. "We will not reject the role of mediator between the Iraqi parties."