Iran, Iraq discuss cooperation on border security

Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 27

By Umid Niayesh - Trend:

Iran's visiting Border Guards commander Brigadier General Qassem Rezaei and Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari discussed security issues in Baghdad on Oct. 26.

Rezaei is in Baghdad to attend the fourth joint meeting of Iran-Iraq border guard commanders.

He underlined the "positive" cooperation between the two sides on security issues, particularly in the border region and called for boosting cooperation to confront with "disrupters," Iran's official IRINN news agency reported Oct. 27.

Iraqi media outlets reported that the issue of security coordination between the two countries to defeat the terrorist organizations, and restore security and stability to the region, were also discussed at the meeting.

Rezaei met with his Iraqi counterpart Major General Hussein al-Awadhi on Oct. 26. At the end of the meeting the border guards' commanders announced they had made new coordination to assure the maintenance of security along more than 1400 kilometers of joint borders.

Rezaei said that the new security situation in Iraq required further coordination between Tehran and Baghdad on border security. He expressed satisfaction with cooperation of Iraqi forces with Iranian border guards in providing security at the joint borders.

Iraqi border guard commander, al-Awadhi said for his part that there are no border problems between Iran and Iraq. He said the Iran and Iraq would not allow any possible border crossing by terrorists into the two countries.

The Iranian delegation is due to sign a new agreement with the Iraqi side.