Iraqi President Saddam Hussein received on Tuesday Head of the Austrian Liberal Party, the governor of Carnethia province in southern Austria, Yorg Haider.
According to the Iraqi News Agency, Haider expressed his pleasure to meet with Hussein and conveyed greetings from the Austrian people and Party to the Iraqi leader, wishing the people of Iraq progress and prosperity under Saddam’s wise leadership.
Haider affirmed his Austria’s solidarity with the Iraq people, and expressed willingness to develop relations between Iraq and Austria. In addition, he expressed his wish to strengthen cooperation ties between the Austrian Liberty Party and the Arab Ba'th Socialist Party.
For his part, President Saddam Hussein welcomed Haider and asked him to convey his greetings to his colleagues in the Liberty Party and Austrian people. "We hope that Americans could benefit from Europe's thoughts on the importance of identity and the national character, its rights and the rights of others”. However, he adds, “it seems that when US officials ascend [to] power they are inflicted with power dazing. Instead of ruling with wisdom, they use power as a baton against peoples", President Saddam Hussein declared.
The Iraqi President also issued recommendations to European countries, "Europe should carry out a double responsibility. First, it should persuade the U.S to use logic so as not to destroy itself by launching continuing aggressions and escalating adversaries under new pretexts.”
He concluded, “I think we should develop Arab-European and Islamic-Christian dialogue and cooperate to serve interaction to build a world of non-aggression, without domination or oppression. Also we have to improve relations between our parties and we are keen on boosting ties with Austria and ready to cooperate with it as far as we could."
Also present in the audience was Iraqi Deputy Premier Tareq Aziz. (Albawaba.com)
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