Tehran - Iran sees no limits in expanding its ties with
neighbouring Iraq, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told his
Iraqi counterpart Jalal Talabani at the Iran-Iraq summit in Tehran on
Friday.
'We will grant Iraq all our experiences in all relevant fields and
from our side, there is no limit for expanding cooperation with our
friends and brothers in Iraq,' Ahmadinejad told Talabani in their
first round of talks.
The official news agency IRNA quoted Ahmadinejad as further saying
that the four-way cooperation between Iraq, Iran, Syria and Turkey
was vital for establishing the basis of long-term security in Iraq.
The Iranian president did not mention the US as part of this
multilateral cooperation although Baghdad has constantly stressed the
need for direct Iran-US talks to improve the security situation in
Iraq.
Talabani said the groundwork had been laid for the maximum
expansion of bilateral ties. The Iraqi president also thanked Iran
for all the support granted following the collapse of the Saddam
Hussein regime.
The two sides agreed to focus their cooperation on political,
military, security, cultural and commercial fields.
Talabani is also due to meet with Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah
Ali Khamenei during this three-day visit.
The two sides were expected to review the political prospects in
view of the new US administration of President Barack Obama.
Tehran is also expected to reiterate its demands on Baghdad to
expel the Iranian opposition group, the People's Mujahedin of Iran
(PMOI), from Iraq.
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