Iran Press/ Middle East: Supporting the Iraqi government and nation is among the principal policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Defence Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami said on Thursday.
In a phone conversation with his newly-appointed Iraqi counterpart Najah Hassan Ali al-Shammari on Thursday, Brigadier General Hatami referred to the expanding and friendly ties between Tehran and Baghdad in recent years, stressing that Tehran has always put the security of neighbouring Iraq among its main priorities.
According to a Mehr News Agency report, Defence Minister Hatami said: "We consider the security, stability and development of Iraq good for the entire region and we have always advocated this idea."
The minister called for deepening of defence and military relations between the two countries to strengthen their power in the region.
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Referring to the Iraqi army campaign of fighting terrorists in recent years, Brigadier General Hatami said the Iraqi people should be proud of their armed forces because history will always remember their bravery and resounding defeat of terrorists.
He also invited his Iraqi counterpart to visit Tehran to further explore ways of boosting Tehran-Baghdad military ties.
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Al-Shammari, for his part, expressed gratitude to Iran for its assistance and support in fighting terrorist groups and called for strengthening of relations across the board, particularly with regards to defence and military matters.
"Iraq and Iran share many common interests, and their security and stability are intertwined," Al-Shammari added. 203/211/207
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Iran Eyes Closer Military Cooperation with Iraq: Hatami
