Baghdad Not Willing to Distance Itself From Tehran

The speaker of Iraq’s Council of Representatives reacted to the call by a British diplomat on the Arab country to wean off economic reliance on Iran, saying Baghdad is not willing to part from its neighbor. 
“Baghdad seeks to improve its relations with all regional countries and the international community based on shared interests, mutual respect for the countries’ sovereignty and non-interference in each other’s [domestic] affairs,” Mohammed al-Halbousi said in a meeting with Christian Turner, Britain’s deputy national security adviser, in London on Tuesday, ISNA reported, citing Iraq News Network. 
Britain’s foreign office minister for the Middle East, Alistair Burt, had said on Sunday Iraq must reduce its economic reliance on Iran and become more energy self-sufficient.