Iran, Iraq Eye Closer Regional Cooperation

By Staff, Agencies

Stressing the need to carry out an agreement on security cooperation between Iran and Iraq, the foreign ministers of the two countries weighed plans for stronger regional collaboration.

In a telephone conversation on Thursday night, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian and his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein talked about the latest status of bilateral relations between Tehran and Baghdad.

The two senior diplomats emphasized the necessity for the implementation of a security agreement the two neighbors signed in March.

They also stressed the need to promote regional cooperation between the two countries and to increase the capacity of pipelines that transfer natural gas from Iran to Iraq.

Foreign Minister Amir Abdollahian also expressed gratitude to Iraq for facilitating the financial and banking transactions related to the Hajj pilgrimage that Iranian pilgrims make to Saudi Arabia this year.

He finally called for efforts to strengthen banking cooperation between Tehran and Baghdad.

Last month, Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid paid an official visit to Iran and weighed plans to enhance the political, economic, trade and cultural cooperation between the two nations.

Stressing the need for efforts to promote the relations in various fields and remove the obstacles to mutual cooperation, Rashid said details have been discussed about ways to improve the infrastructures of the two neighbors.

Lauding the recent agreement on the restoration of ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia, the Iraqi president said the rapprochement would contribute to regional security and stability.