Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad lambasted what he called "enemies' attempts to prevent the progress and flourishing of the regional countries", especially Iran and Iraq, and called for increased cooperation between Tehran and Baghdad to foil such "evil plots", Fars reported.
"The devils always seek to sow discord and prevent work, progress and prosperity and we should make effort against their will in line with Iran and Iraq's progress through our further cooperation and endeavors," Ahmadinejad said at a meeting with Iraqi Vice-President Khazir al-Khazraie in Tehran on Saturday.
He underlined that Iran and Iraq have common enemies who do not favor the two nations' progress, prosperity and welfare, and said, "Unfortunately, certain people in the region do not want to allow Iraq to make progress and attain prosperity but we should use our utmost power and work to attain prosperity and progress."
Iran and Iraq have enjoyed growing ties ever since the overthrow of the former Iraqi dictator, Saddam Hussein, in 2003.
Both sides are working on a series of plans to take wide strides in expanding their ties.
Iran on Friday announced plans to play an active presence in Iraqi power sector after constructing new power transmission lines to increase electricity exports to its western neighboring country.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a meeting with Iraqi Electricity Minister Abdul Kareem Aftan, Iran's Minister of Energy Majid Namjou stated that Iran is ready to increase electricity exports to Iraq.
"We are also ready to build new power plants in order to increase the capacity of power exports to Iraq," he said,
Referring to the newly commissioned Karkheh-al-Emara power transmission line, the Iranian minister said, "The power line has increased the capacity of Iran's [daily] electricity exports to Iraq to 1,200 MW."