Stating that thesocial, religious, and historical commonalities have played a decisive role in further deepening and strengthening the ties between Iran and Iraq, Ashtiani said that Iran supports Iraq'sunity and integrity and helps tostrengthen the stability and security in the country.
He also called on the Iranian and Iraqi officials to be more diligent and cohesive in strengthening cooperation.
Noting that terrorism is one of the tools of the West to justify its presence in the region, the Iranian minister referred to the joint actions of Iraq, Iran, and Syria in the fight against terrorism and added, "We believe that the countries of the region and West Asia must manage the security of the region, and it is impossible to achieve stability and peace as long as extra-regional forces are present in the region."
Brigadier General Ashtiani also appreciated the Iraqi parliament overapproving the law of criminalizing relations with the Zionist regime.
Al-Ghanmi, for his part, said, "Iran has always stood by Iraq at various times, and we will never forget its assistance and the efforts of the Iranian forces in the fight against terrorism."
Calling for expanding cooperation with Iran, the Iraqi interior minister said that Iran-Iraq cooperation cancontribute to the development of different parts of the Republic of Iraq, especially the security and economic sectors of this country.