( IRNA ) - President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that Iran sees no restriction on expansion of ties with the United Arab Emirates.
Ahmadinejad said in his official talks with the UAE President Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed al-Nahyan that Iran and the UAE are two neighboring countries with close ties and common heritage and objectives.
"We consider progress and prosperity of the UAE as our own," said President Ahmadinejad.
He added, "There are certain groups of people who are unhappy with close relations among Muslim brethren and friends and are not pleased with growing friendship among them. The fact is that they (the enemies) all will be gone and brothers and neighbors will remain instead."
He said Iran and the UAE can have broad cooperation in the economic, political and cultural sectors. "We can turn the Persian Gulf into the center of peace and friendship in cooperation with each other."
He said Iran has never been willing to compete with the UAE brethren and wants to share experience with its regional brethren.
On his part, al-Nahyan said his country intends to boost its age-old and historical relations with Iran.
He hoped for restoration of peace and security to the entire region, especially in Iraq, Palestine and Lebanon.
He said his country expects foreign navy and troops to get out of the region as they use Iraq conditions as a pretext for their continued presence. He also hoped that Iraqis will solve their problems themselves.