Moscow (AINA) -- On February 12, during the press conference with the head of the Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, a question was raised concerning the rights of national minorities in Iraq. Joseph Zaya, Vice President of Russian Regional National Cultural Autonomy of Assyrians, stressed that Assyrians (also known as Chaldeans and Syriacs) are in great need of an autonomous region in the Nineveh plains in north Iraq. The head of the Russian Assyrian autonomy did not agree with the assessment of the Minister that the situation in Iraq has stabilized, noting a deterioration of the largest national minority of Iraq -- the Christian Assyrians. Mr. Zaya also noted that only territorial autonomy could guarantee the preservation of the indigenous people of Iraq.

Hoshyar Zebari not not directly answer, saying that "in Iraq there is no discrimination against minorities, including Christians, whose rights are constitutionally guaranteed. The Minister also said that "not only do Christians face violence, but all the representatives of the Iraqi people" though he agreed that "Assyrian Christians are forced to flee the country".

At the end of the press conference Mr. Zaya handed a petition to protect the rights of Assyrians, which contained the demands for autonomy and the demands to proclaim the Assyrian language as one of the national languages, the right for Iraqi citizenship for all Assyrians around the world and the installation of Human rights commissioner for non-Muslim minorities, who would regular monitor the situation with Assyrians as well as Armenians, Yezidis and Mandaeans.