Erbil-Baghdad Talks Welcome

Iran welcomes fence-mending talks between the Baghdad government and the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region, which have so far produced an agreement on lifting a ban on international flights to and from the Kurdish region, Iran's ambassador said. "The Islamic Republic emphasizes the importance of dialogue to address the differences and problems," Iraj Masjedi was quoted by IRNA as saying in a statement on Thursday. "Iran supports any move to resolve differences peacefully in the framework of a united Iraq and its constitution," he added. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's office announced earlier that two main airports, in Erbil and Sulaymaniyah, will be reopened to international air traffic. They were closed to overseas flights on Sept. 29 as part of sanctions imposed on the Kurds after they held an independence referendum four days earlier in defiance of Baghdad and voted overwhelmingly for separation. Kurdish authorities have agreed that the airports should come under federal control and report to Baghdad's interior ministry, the prime minister's statement said, Reuters reported.