Iran Press/ Iran news: Speaking at a joint press conference with Iraq's Prime minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi after meeting with him on Sunday, President Ebrahim Raisi said that Iran and Iraq discussed ways to boost bilateral, economic and trade ties.
During the meeting, the two sides also discussed bilateral relations, regional issues, and facilitating the visit of Iranian pilgrims to Iraq.
Raisi said that the Iraqi government has agreed to provide more facilities for the pilgrims to travel to Arba'een so that the pilgrims could travel to Iraq easily, and the problems that had existed in previous years would be eliminated.
"Iran considers the continuation of the Yemeni war useless and emphasizes resolving the Yemeni problem, lifting their siege and the support of Yemeni-Yemeni dialogue, and ending the suffering of the Yemeni people," Raisi underscored.
“The steps taken by the Zionist regime to normalize its relations with some arab countries in the West Asia will not bring security to the regime at all,” said Raisi in a joint press conference with the Iraqi Prime Minister.
“Iran’s relations with Iraq are deep-rooted,” the president said.
He then noted that such a determination is required to expand relations between the two neighboring countries further.
President Raisi said that linking the Shalamcheh railway to the Basra railway was one of the main topics of his meeting with al-Kadhimi.
Iran and Iraq discuss ways to boost bilateral, economic, and trade ties, Raisi said.
Raisi said that the Iraqi government was supposed to provide more facilities for the pilgrims to travel to Arba'een so that the pilgrims could travel to Iraq easily and the problems that had existed in previous years would be eliminated.
"Iran considers the continuation of the Yemeni war useless and emphasizes resolving the Yemeni problem, lifting their siege and the support of Yemeni-Yemeni dialogue, and ending the suffering of the Yemeni people," Raisi underscored.
Elsewhere in the briefing, the two leaders reiterated that Iran and Iraq stressed the need to support peace and stability in the region through joint efforts between their leaders.
Iran also criticized the idea of “regional NATO,” saying: “Foreign intervention will not resolve problems in the region, but rather will increase them.”
The comments by President Raisi come a few days after Jordan’s King announced he would support the formation of a Middle East military alliance similar to the US-led NATO.
Such a grouping could work with like-minded countries, but the military alliance’s mission statement would need to be clear from the outset, King Abdullah II told CNBC News.
“I’d like to see more countries in the area come into that mix. I would be one of the first people that would endorse a Middle East NATO,” Abdullah said. “The mission statement has to be very, very clear. Otherwise, it confuses everybody.”
Abdullah's comments also come as US President Joe Biden prepares to visit West Asia as part of efforts to normalize ties between the region’s Arab countries and Israel and boost Washington's relations with its regional allies.
The Iraqi Prime Minister arrived at Mehrabad airport in Tehran on Sunday morning for a one-day visit.
In the meeting, Iran's president said Iran hosts Iraqi PM as a part of an initiative to broaden relations with neighboring countries.
Upon his arrival in Tehran, Al-Kadhimi was officially welcomed and received by Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in a ceremony at Saadabad Historical Complex.
Before his Iran visit, Kadhimi had visited Saudi Arabia, where he was welcomed by Saudi Arabia's crown prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The Iraqi Prime Minister arrived at Mehrabad airport in Tehran on Sunday morning for a one-day visit.
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