TEHRAN (FNA)- Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki underlined his country's willingness to establish relations with all countries, except the Israeli regime. "Iraq does not reject relations with any country and government, and wants to improve its relations with all countries," Maliki said, addressing a ceremony on the occasion of the National Day of Political Prisoners in Baghdad on Saturday.
"Iraq does not act under the influence of ethnic and sectarian biases, yet it shuns (relations with) Israel anyway," said the Iraqi premier.
He further called on the world states to reciprocate his government's good will by showing mutual respect to Iraq's government and political process.
The remarks by Maliki are deemed as yet another failure for the US and Israel as both were pressing Baghdad to officially recognize Israel.
Earlier reports said that Israeli officials had told their US counterparts that their patience is running out for a lack of change in Iraq's stance on Israel despite a change in Baghdad's rulers after the US invasion nearly a decade ago.
