Tehran, March 27, IRNA -- Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad-Ali Hosseini on Thursday voiced strong protest at the US occupying forces' recent "willful" act of fingerprinting and imposing restrictions on the Iranian pilgrims on the officially recognized Iran-Iraq borders.

Hosseini said the occupiers take such measures to harm relations between the two neighboring states.

He said Iranian pilgrims are dispatched to Iraqi holy sites within framework of mutual agreements and in full coordination between Iranian and Iraqi officials. "So there is no need for others' intervention," he added.

The official said Iraqi government has the responsibility within framework of bilateral agreements to remove present problems and prevent occupiers' intervention.

He urged immediate settlement of the problems so that pilgrims will be able to travel between the two countries freely as before.

... Payvand News - 03/27/08 ... --