Close ties between Iran - Iraq

A close ties between Tehran and Baghdad will serve the interests of regional countries, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has said, pointing to the deep affinities between the two countries. Zarif made the remarks in a meeting with the head of the Iraqi Supreme Judicial Council Medhat al-Mahmoud in Tehran on Monday. To move on the path of strategic relations is of great importance, the chief diplomat said. He went on to say that exchanging high ranking delegations between the two countries and expansion of ties in different spheres indicate that both countries are determined to enhance ties. Commenting on the status of judicial branches in Iran and Iraq, Zarif called for expansion of ties in this area as well. Zarif also requested the top Iraqi judge to resolve the problems of Iranians held in Iraqi prisons. Some Iranians are kept in Iraqi prisons for visiting holy sites without seeking the permission of authorized bodies. He also expressed congratulations over successful elections in Iraq in spite of all the external pressure and security challenges by terrorist and extremist groups. On April 30, Iraq held a general election, the first since U.S. troops withdrew in late 2011, and amid a protracted surge in nationwide unrest. For his part, Medhat al-Mahmoud said that the election in Iraq was what the Iraqi people had demanded. He also said the goal of the trip by the Iraqi judiciary delegation to Tehran was to use Iran's experience in judicial matters. Medhat al-Mahmoud, accompanied by a judicial delegation, arrived in Tehran on Saturday night on a four-day visit. During this trip, he met with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Sadeq Larijani, national prosecutor general Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'I and some other Iranian officials.
Tehran Times