TEHRAN (FNA)- A senior Iranian diplomat stressed the age-old and brotherly relations between Iran and Iraq, and said the two countries enjoy abundant grounds for cooperation.
“The age-old and long-term relations between Iran and Iraq in the past have created not just abundant grounds for cooperation, but a desirable future for cooperation and regional balance,” Director-General of the Persian Gulf Desk at the Iranian Foreign Ministry Alireza Enayati said, addressing a seminar on relations between Iran and Iraq on Wednesday.

He underlined Iran’s enthusiasm for the further expansion of ties with Iraq, and said, “We hope that we can make use of the atmosphere which has prevailed for joint cooperation in a desirable way and through utmost efforts in such a way that we can push this cooperation towards regional balance in the Persian Gulf to the benefit of both nations.”

Iran and Iraq have enjoyed growing ties ever since the overthrow of the former Iraqi dictator, Saddam Hussein, during the 2003 US invasion of the Muslim country.

Early December, top Iranian and Iraqi officials, in a joint news conference in Tehran, stressed the need for the further expansion of mutual cooperation in economic fields.

During the news conference, the Iranian first vice president and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki reiterated the necessity for increasing exchange of visits between the two countries’ businessmen and trade officials in a bid to further consolidate Iran-Iraq economic ties.

The Iranian first vice-president reiterated that enhancement of bilateral ties tops the agenda of both Tehran and Baghdad, and said “the agreements between Tehran and Baghdad have provided proper opportunities for Iranian businessmen to play a bigger role in the gas and housing industries and other sectors in Iraq”.

The Iraqi prime minister, pointed to his meeting with the Iranian first vice-president, and said, “We agreed to have extensive activities and we also agreed on establishing different ways for conducting (joint) economic activities.”

By Fars News Agency

 

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