(IRNA) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad reiterated Iran's support for the Iraqi government and parliament.
At a meeting with the visiting Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani late Tuseday, President Ahmadinejad stressed that the two Islamic nations are bonded by a common religion, interests and enemies, reports Trend.
Referring to the unfavorable situation in Iraq, he called on Iraqi officials to strive to improve the country's state of affairs.
"I am sure that Iraqi authorities will be able to tackle their problems with prudence, wisdom, unity and reliance on God as well as the support of the people," he said, adding that tyrants exploit divisions and differences among Muslims to advance their interests.
President Ahmadinejad said "unity in the Muslim world will destroy the interests of enemies."
"Differences in opinion are only natural. The important thing is that Muslim nations are united," he said.
Al-Mashhadani, for his part, hailed Iran's support for the Iraqi nation and said the Iraqi govenrment and parliament are determined to open a new page in relations between the two countries.
Commemorating the late father of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, he said the people of Iraq regard Imam Khomeini as the catalyst of a new, dynamic generation.
He also hailed President Ahmadinejad for having the courage to reveal the real identity of the Zionist regime.