Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

Rafsanjani to visit Iraq

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, March 1, IRNA -- Visiting Iraqi Vice President Adel Abdul-Mahdi conferred on Sunday with Chairman of the Expediency Council Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani on issues of mutual interests.

Abdul-Mahdi is in Iran on the threshold of Rafsanjani's visit to Iraq.

At the meeting, Rafsanjani highlighted the objectives of his visit to Iraq and said that he will hold talks with Iraqi officials on sharing Iran's invaluable experiences for the reconstruction of Iraq and the country's development programs, meet Iraqi Ulema, the country's intellectuals and officials to help deepen ties between the two countries.

Iran believes that Iraq is among the significant countries in the Islamic world and can play a very prominent role among Arab as well as other Muslim states, he said.

Commending the patience of Iraqi people who have suffered hardship, he said that the Iraqi nation is courageous, mature and has significant historical background in various economic, cultural, industrial and commercial fields and deserve development and success.

Iran is ready to help Iraq meet its requirements in various fields, he said.

Iranian people and government have high respect for Iraqi sacred places and are ready to fully cooperate with Iraqi officials in reconstructing those sites, Rafsanjani said.

It is incumbent for Iraqi groups and sects to maintain unity to help establish a democratic system in Iraq through general elections, he said.

The Iraqi official, for his part, welcomed the upcoming visit of Hashemi Rafsanjani to Iraq which will help forge unity and solidarity between the two nations.

There are ample of untapped potentialities in both sides which could help promote a promising future in two sides relations, he pointed out.

Highlighting current developments in Iraq and the region, he thanked the Iranian nation and government in restoring peace and stability in Iraq.

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End News / IRNA / News Code 376309