Iran, Iraq review expansion of mutual cooperation
Baghdad, Sept 9, IRNA
Iran-Iraq-Conference
Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab- African Affairs Mohammad Reza Baqeri conferred here on Sunday with Iraqi Foreign Minister Hushyar Zebari on current developments in that country.
At the meeting, the Iranian envoy underlined the importance of the current conference of Iraq's neighbors and said holding such meeting indicates that the countries in the region support the Maliki government in overcoming the country's political problems and the extent to which the Iraqi government is able to play a positive role to this end.
According to the Information and Press Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at the meeting the two sides reviewed issues pertaining to Iraq's neighboring states conference and discussed expansion of ties between the two countries.
He called on Iraqi officials to continue their efforts to help release kidnapped Iranian diplomats while thanking Iraqi officials who helped obtain the freedom of seven-member Iranian delegation detained recently by US troops in Iraq.
He also said the Iraqi government should play a much more active role in curbing terrorist operation in its common borders in the Kurdestan region and underlined that such insecurity on Iran's borders are 'unacceptable'.
Zebari, for his part, said, "We appreciate active participation of Iran at the conference," and added, "We are proud of having ties with Iran and believe that Tehran's support for the Baghdad conference would be significant in rendering assistance to Iraqi nation and its government."
At the meeting, the two sides also reviewed expansion of political, economic and consular cooperation as well as the latest status of Iranian inmates in Iraq, opening of Iran's consulate general in Erbil and Suleymaniye and terrorist measures of grouplets on the Iran-Iraq borders in Kurdestan region.
Iran, Iraq review expansion of mutual cooperation
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