US troop withdrawal from Iraq won't stabilize country - Primakov

The withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, expected in about a year's time, will hardly stabilize the situation in the country, a former Russian prime minister said Monday.

Yevgeny Primakov told an international Middle East conference in Jordan that relations between Iraq's Kurdish and Arab, Sunni and Shiite communities were "far from peaceful" and added that the Shiites have differences inside their camp as well.

"The situation in Iraq is deadlocked. Anyway, it is hard to expect Iraq to recover quickly and become the state it was before - secular, united and one balancing Iran's influence," Primakov said.

He was speaking at an international conference called "Middle East 2020: Is a Comprehensive Settlement Possible?"

The event, which kicked off on Sunday, was organized by Russian News & Information Agency RIA Novosti and the Russian Council for Foreign and Defense Policy within the framework of the Valdai International Discussion Club.

SUWEIMA (Jordan), December 21 (RIA Novosti)