Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 12
By Umid Niayesh - Trend:
Iranian parliament speaker Ali Larijani discussed various regional issues including fighting terrorism in a meeting with his visiting counterpart Salim al-Jabouri.
"We talked on ways to establish sustainable stability in the region and fighting terrorism as well as issues of mutual interest," Larijani said in a joint press conference with al-Jabouri on Sept. 12, Iran's State IRINN TV reported.
He further said that the issue of boosting trade ties between Tehran and Baghdad and developing political-cultural relations were also negotiated in the meeting.
In recent years, Iran has always been on the side of the Iraqi government and nation, Larijani said, adding even in the most difficult conditions in which terrorist movements sought to wreck Iraq, Tehran helped Baghdad in fighting terrorists.
The Iraqi speaker, for his part, praised the nuclear deal between Tehran and the six world powers, referring to the accord as a factor for increasing stability in the region.
Iraqi parliament speaker arrived in Tehran on Sept. 11 at the head of a high-ranking parliamentary delegation.
He is scheduled to meet with Iranian president Hassan Rouhani and the foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.
Iraqi sources said that al-Jabouri will discuss supporting the national reconciliation plan in Iraq and fighting the terrorists in the country.
Some western and Iraqi media have underscored the significant role of Iranian forces in fighting against the IS (Islamic State) group which made advances in northern and western Iraq since summer 2014, after capturing swaths of northern Syria.
The media reports say Iranian forces have a decisive presence on the battlefield of the fight.
Meanwhile Iranian officials said the Islamic Republic gives only advice and organizational structure to Iraqi forces.
The IS group has killed several high-ranking staff of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) in Iraq during the conflict in recent months.
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