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President rejects US charges of Iran's meddling in Iraq affairs

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

BBaghdad, March 2, IRNA
Iran-US-Ahmadinejad
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad here Sunday rejected US accusation that Iran interferes in Iraq's internal affairs.

"(US President George W) Bush cannot solve US problems in the region by accusing others. Gone is the era of accusations. The Iraqi nation does not want the US," said the Iranian president in a joint press conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki here on Sunday.

Asked whether Iran and Iraq are confident of continuation of bilateral ties, Ahmadinejad sarcastically asked, "If the two neighboring nations with many common cultural, historical and geographic grounds, fail to establish and bolster mutual ties and do not trust each other, perhaps there is a country thousands of kilometers away which can establish such a relation and trust!" On Iraq-US long-term agreement and its impact on Tehran-Baghdad relations, Ahmadinejad said that the Iraqi nation knows its interests better than any other country and 'we think Iraqi nation and government are mature enough to understand their own as well as regional interests."
Maliki, for his part, said that he had 'positive and constructive' talks with Iranian president.

"Mr. Ahmadinejad's visit to Iraq is the first by an Iranian president to Iraq after the downfall of the Baathist regime. The visit is in line with regional interests, stability and security. Iraq has now entered the construction phase after restoration and improvement of security and it is strongly proceeding in the path to
reconstruction," said Maliki.

He said that his talks with President Ahmadinejad touched on variety of subjects relating to electricity, oil, industry, transportation, industries, and commerce and the two sides achieved good results.

He added that in the meeting, in which Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and cabinet ministers were also present, necessary grounds were prepared for expansion of mutual cooperation.

To a question about investment in Iraq reconstruction, Maliki said the requisite for Iraq reconstruction is taking special measures for Iraq security and stability as well as in the field of budget and diplomacy with the neighbors.

He said Baghdad favors using Iran's rich experience in reconstruction.

He added that President Ahmadinejad's visit bears a message to all the neighboring, particularly Arab, countries, asking them to follow Iran in expanding relations with Iraq.

Maliki said that Iran and Iraq have many capacities for expansion of mutual relations.

He said that during President Ahmadinejad's Iraq visit, Iranian and Iraqi officials signed documents and agreements for mutual cooperation.

"Iraq considers no limit for expansion of relations with Tehran," he added.

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