ForMin firmly condemns terrorist acts by Iraq fundamentalist-extremist groupings

The Romanian Foreign Affairs Ministry is watching the general developments in Iraq with deep worry and voices concern at the significant deterioration of the security climate, in the northwestern regions mostly, a release to AGERPRES says on Thursday.

The ministry stressed the escalation of attacks over the last period in the regions of Fallujah and Mosul is a direct threat to the security and stability of the Iraqi state and has the potential to destabilise the entire region.

'The Foreign Affairs Ministry firmly condemns the terrorist acts committed in Iraq by fundamentalist-extremist groupings that have made countless victims among the Iraqi population as well as the kidnap of the diplomatic staff at Turkey's General Consulate in Mosul. Given such regrettable incident, the Romanian Foreign Ministry voices solidarity with Turkey in its capacity of a strategic partner of Romania and calls for the fast release of the persons being kept prisoners by the Islamic rebels,' the release says.

The Romanian ministry expresses support for the Iraqi authorities in their actions aimed at combating terrorism and urges the Iraqi political forces 'to speed up the political process with a view to forming a new government that should answer the legitimate aspirations of the Iraqi people and help establish security and stability'.AGERPRES