Foreign Ministry: Bulgaria very concerned about escalation in Iraq
Bulgaria’s Foreign Ministry said that it is very concerned about the escalation of tensions and violence in Iraq that has led to riots in front of the US embassy in Baghdad and damage to and arson of part of its facilities.
Such events bring an extremely negative situation, especially at the threshold of the new year 2020, when peoples around the world and in the region look to the future in the hope of more peace and security, the Foreign Ministry said.
“The situation in Iraq is extremely complex, and any actions that lead to tensions increase the risk that the spiral of violence in this highly volatile region will get out of hand.”
The ministry said that according to recent reports, demonstrators had left the embassy area.
“We view the withdrawal of protesters from the area around the embassy as a signal that despite the crisis and the complex situation, Iraqi authorities and security forces are able to assume their responsibilities to ensure the security of foreign diplomatic and consular missions in the country in accordance with international norms.”
The United States struck a significant and potentially risky blow against Iran, killing the leader of the nation’s elite Quds Force in an airstrike in Iraq, the Voice of America reported on January 3.
The Pentagon confirmed the death of Quds Force Commander General Qassem Soleimani in a statement late Thursday, saying the strike was launched, “at the direction” of US President Donald Trump.
It further described the strike as a “decisive defensive action to protect US personnel abroad.”
“General Soleimani was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region,” the statement said, VOA reported.
(Photo: mfa.bg)
