The new top Iraqi envoy here called Wednesday for the world to step up efforts to fight terrorism, saying it's an international matter not confined to a certain region.

Amb. Wadee Batti Hanna Al-Batti likened terror to a contagious disease spreading across borders "without any visa."

"That's because a war against terror is a matter of international responsibility," he said in an interview with Yonhap News Agency.

The Iraqi government is especially in the fight against the Islamic State.

Iraqi people hope that the terror group will be forced out of Iraq this year, according to the envoy.

He also pointed out that some foreign media reports on the instability in Iraq are "overblown."

"When (they) talk about security conditions in Iraq, it tends to be based on exaggerated and incorrect information. It's not the case that security is unstable across Iraq," he said.

The ambassador requested South Korean businesses to make more investment in Iraq.

"Iraq is a country of opportunity," he said, adding that various economic data signal that it will become a "big market" in the Middle East.

He cited Hanwha Engineering & Construction's participation in the construction of Bismayah New City in Iraq.

"As it will be a big bridgehead (for South Korean firms) to launch businesses in Iraq, it's an important project not only for the Iraqi government and people but also South Korea," he said.

He arrived in South Korea late last year and presented his credentials to President Park Geun-hye earlier this week. (Yonhap)