Iran, Iraq Underline Common Stances on Security Developments in Region

Iran and Iraq in a joint communiqué underscored their common stances on security and political developments in the region.
The communiqué was issued at the end of the Iranian First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri’s three-day visit of Iraq.

“In line with policies to strengthen and broaden the bilateral friendly ties of the two brother countries of Islamic Republic of Iran and Republic of Iraq, His Honor Mr. Eshaq Jahangiri, the Iranian first vice president, visited Iraq on an official invitation extend to him by Prime Minister Hayder al-Ebadi from Feb 16 to 19, 2015,” read the communiqué in part.

It noted that Jahangiri in this visit met and conferred with the Iraqi president, prime minister, foreign minister, and other high ranking Iraqi officials amid a warm atmosphere, and he also paid homage to the holy shrines of the Imams and saints in Iraq and talked with grand sources of jurisprudence.

The two sides have shared viewpoints on ongoing political and security developments in the region and are agreed on need of continuous bilateral and multilateral consultations aimed at passage through the existing security threats, strengthening the bilateral ties, and uprooting terrorism, which has emerged as a threat not only against the regional, but also against the world peace and stability, it added.

In the communiqué, Iran and Iraq also stressed the need for finding political solutions for the regional crisis by the regional countries and free from foreign intervention in the communiqué.

Jahangiri’s visit of Iraq which began on Monday morning ended on Wednesday evening.

Jahangiri in a meeting with Iraqi President Fouad Massoum on Tuesday renewed Tehran’s support for Baghdad in its ongoing fight against Takfiri terrorists.

“Iraq’s security means Iran’s security and Iran is always beside the Iraqi government and nation in good and hard times,” Jahangiri said during the meeting in Baghdad.

He pointed to the presence of ISIL terrorist group in Iraq, and said the Takfiri terrorists have tainted the image of Islam.

The Iranian first vice-president stressed that ISIL should be fought and defeated not just through military means, but its ideology should also be confronted and stopped and its financial backups should also be cut.

“The people of Iraq and Syria are in the frontline of war against the ISIL and the international community should support them in this regard.”

Jahangiri, meantime, pointed to Iran-Iraq relations and said, the two countries should try to broaden their economic and trade ties in tandem with their amicable political ties.

He reminded that Iran has good experiences in reconstruction, and said, “We are ready to share our experiences with Iraq and play an active role in the reconstruction of that country.”

The Iranian vice-president referred to the political plots hatched to sharply reduce the oil prices in the international markets, and said, “We have always tried to create an opportunity out of every sanction and now after the sharp decline in oil prices we announce that less than 30 percent of our budget relies on oil revenues.”

The Iraqi president, for his part, welcomed the Iranian delegation, and reminded that “Iran and Iraq have lengthy common borders and the two countries have age-old relations.”

He pointed to the threat of terrorism, and said, “ISIL’s threat is not restricted to Iraq and the Takfiri terrorists are threatening all the regional nations.”

President Massoum, meantime, thanked Iran for helping Iraq in its fight against the ISIL, and expressed the hope that the two countries’ relations would further expand in future.