Unity government victory for Iraq

Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Saeed Jalili has described the formation of the national unity government in Iraq as a victory.

Jalili also stressed on the importance of the role of Iraq’s neighbors in the maintenance of peace and stability in the country.

“Constructive cooperation between regional countries and Iraq is required in order to create lasting stability and security in the region. The Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to expand cooperation in various fields,” Jalili said.

The Iranian official made the remarks in a meeting with former Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim Jafari on Wednesday.

Jafari, for his part, thanked Iran for playing a constructive role in instating peace and security in the war-torn country.

He said the new Iraqi government has been consistently seeking to develop positive ties with all neighbors, adding that relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran in various fields, including political, cultural, and economic dimensions, have priority for Iraq.

In October 2010, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his Iraqi counterpart Jalal Talabani both agreed on the need to expand Tehran-Baghdad relations.

In a phone conversation with Talabani, Ahmadinejad described the relations between the two sides as “very good” and expressed hope that the establishment of an Iraqi government would result in the comprehensive expansion of bilateral ties, particularly in the political and economic spheres.