Ahmadinejad: No differences between Iran, Iraq
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
Tehran, Nov 23, IRNA
Iran-Iraq-President
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad here Wednesday stressed that there were no differences between the governments of Iran and Iraq.
Talking to reporters after hosting an official farewell ceremony for Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and his delegation, Ahmadinejad said Iran's welcome for President Talabani was a welcome for the Iraqi nation as well.
"We regard dignity and progress of Iraq as those of Iran," he stated.
He said he believes the Iraqi nation is moving towards progress, and expressed hope the process of establishing a stable and popular government in that country would be finalized.
He noted that the two countries often hold similar stances on bilateral, regional and international issues, adding that Iran's "stances on Iraqi security and the region are often arrived at in coordination" with that country.
"Both sides had similar concerns and regret over the difficulties caused the oppressed Iraqi nation; we hope security will be restored to that country with the establishment of a popular government," he said.
Ahmadinejad said he and his Iraqi counterpart also discussed the subject of establishing transportation and gas networks in certain areas and reached agreement to widen trade exchanges, pilgrimage and tourism cooperation.
He said civil administration and services were among other subjects he raised with the Iraqi president and said a strategy has been adopted for both governments to cooperate in this regard.
The Iranian president pointed to the strong will of the Iraqi nation and government to strengthen bilateral ties with Iran and said conspiracies cannot in any way damage the brotherly ties between Tehran and Baghdad.
"We see no obstacles to bolstering cooperation between the two nations and countries and are confident that the speedy implementation of decisions made during President Talabani's Tehran visit will promote relations at the highest level."
The Iraqi president, for his part, praised Iranians and their government for their concern for the Iraqi nation, and said he was grateful for the meetings he had with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Ahmadinejad.
He pointed to the political, trade and security negotiations he held with Iranian officials, and disclosed that Iran would grant a 10-million-dollar interest-free loan and another one billion dollars in long-tern facilities to the Iraqi government.
During talks with the Iraqi officials, "Iranian officials promised to transfer their experiences on reconstruction to Iraq," he said, adding that talks on oil and gas issues and the inauguration of a railway connecting the Iraqi city of Basra to the Iranian city of Khorramshahr that would link Iraq to the Central Asian states and China were held.
The Iraqi president, moreover, said the two sides also discussed the subject of Iranian pilgrimages to Iraqi holy sites.
He disclosed that a strategic goal of the Iraqi government is to expand economic activities with Iran thereby paving the ground for stronger Tehran-Baghdad relations.
An official farewell ceremony was held here Wednesday morning for departing President Talabani and his delegation by the Iranian president.
Talabani arrived here Monday heading a high-ranking political and economic delegation on an official visit. He is the first Iraqi president to visit Iran in the past four decades.
While in Tehran, the Iraqi president held separate meetings with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, President Ahmadinejad, Judiciary Chief Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi, Chairman of the Expediency Council Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Majlis Speaker Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel and Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki.
He and his delegation will return to Iraq later this evening.
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