Ahmadinejad: Regional Progress, Security Depend On Iran-Iraq Co-op

Baghdad, July 20, IRNA -- President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said here Thursday evening everyone believes today that this regionˈs progress and security depends on cooperation and shared efforts of Iran and Iraq. Speaking with Iraqi Prime Minster Nouri al-Maleki, the outgoing Iranian President who is atop a high-ranking delegation on the first day of his last foreign visit during his tenure said that Iraqˈs reconstruction and development projects have progressed noticeably in the course of recent years, the information website of the Presidential Office reported President Ahmadinejad as saying. “Also Tehran-Baghdad friendly and brotherly comprehensive relations have been increasing staidly in the course of the recent years”, he added. Referring to the civilizational and belief commonalities of the two nations, Ahmadinejad said, “even the course of the developments in the region and at the international scene during the past few years provided a better opportunity for greater cooperation between the two countries in different fields.” Focusing on Iran-Iraq cooperation, Ahmadinejad said, “today, Tehran-Baghdad have very close cooperation in engineering, energy and electricity fields, which we hope would increase with the passage of each new day, and include more fields in the future.” Ahmadinejad further said that the development of the two countries’ tourism sectors, too, is noticeable, adding, “The Islamic Republic of Iran considers no limits for further expansion of ties with Iraq.” The Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maleki, too, in the meeting while welcoming the outgoing Iranian president and his accompanying delegation, described the two countries’ relations as good and still improving, saying, “New Iraq is after the expansion of relations with the entire friendly regional countries, including Iran.” He referred to the problems due to the unwise conduct of the former Ba’thi regime of Iraq, reiterating, “Today Iraq is pursuing the opened doors policy, because we are after the expansion of ever more cooperation and relations with friendly countries with shared historical and cultural commonalities.” He pointed out that Iran-Iraq share several commonalities, reiterating, “Iraq, too, considers no limits for its cooperation with Iran and has currently broad relations with the Islamic Republic in very vast fields.” Prime Minister Maleki added, “We particularly favor the expansion of cooperation with Iran in energy and electricity fields with Iran.”/end