Eurasia Press & News
TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- To conclude the 3-day visit to Tehran by President Jalal Talabani, Iran and Iraq issued a joint press statement here on Wednesday.
According to the Presidential Press Office, the two sides have stressed in the statement that Iran and Iraq share many common views about various bilateral, regional and international issues.
The statement further said that both sides are insistent on upgrading their present level of relations and cooperation in all political, security, oil, industry, economic and cultural spheres, given their abundant age-old historical, cultural and religious commonalities.
The Islamic republic of Iran has also stressed the necessity for the safeguarding of Iran’s national unity, territorial integrity and independence, while it also voiced support for the building up of a political trend, establishment of democratic institutions, and restoration of the Iraqi nation’s right to control their countries’ natural wealth, enjoy territorial integrity and form their desired political life based on Iraq’s new Constitution.
Iran has also welcomed Iraqi government’s resolve to establish stability and security in that country, and expressed pleasure with the implementation of the plan proposed by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on national reconciliation with the aim of encouraging active and all-out presence of all people from all walks of life in the country’s political system.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran voices full support for the continuation of the said trend as it serves restoration of Iraq’s national sovereignty, security and sustainable stability,” it added.
The two sides strongly condemned continued crimes and sabotage activities by the terrorist groups in Iraq, and further underlined the need for serious campaign against such criminal and terrorist activities.
Both sides also announced their strong support for any kind of efforts reinvigorating and consolidating Iraq’s national integrity, reminding that all the Iraqi ethnic, religious and cultural groups share the same fate, and the Islamic Republic of Iran stated its preparedness to help Iraqi government and nation in the said regard.
Expressing pleasure in continued trips of Iranian and Iraqi pilgrims to the holy shrines and place of the two countries, Tehran and Baghdad called for the removal of the existing problems and barriers on border points and further reiterated the need for increasing the number of pilgrims and providing them with more facilities.
Iran also called on the other side to open its aerial border to establish direct and transit flights between Tehran and Baghdad and vice versa so as to facilitate trafficking of the pilgrims, businessmen and traders.
The two sides also stressed the need for implementing previously signed agreements on the opening of the Iranian General Consulates in Arbil and Soleymanieh and the Iraqi General Consulate in Mashhad and the temporary transfer of the General Consulate of the latter from Khorramshahr to Ahvaz.
Noting the importance of support and participation in Iraq’s economic development and reconstruction and the significant role that the aforesaid plays in the establishment of stability and sustainable security in that country and the region, Iranian and Iraqi officials insisted on the need for the participation and support of all countries, especially neighboring and friendly countries, in the stated process.
Elsewhere, the Iraqi government appreciated Iran’s all-out support in political, economic areas and in rebuilding the country.
Iran, for its part, voiced its preparedness to participate in the reconstruction of Iraq, and called on the Iraqi government to assist creditable Iranian companies in exercising partnership in the construction, service and reconstruction projects in that country.
To develop and deepen the two sides’ mutual cooperation and help to the solution of the Iraqi people’s problems, the two sides called for the acceleration of the implementation of their previous agreements in such areas as construction of oil and oil derivatives pipelines, linking of the two countries’ railways, construction of power transfer lines to Iraq, etc.
In another part, the Islamic Republic of Iran welcomed the recent decision and a relevant approval of the Iraqi government for expelling the members of the terrorist group Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO) from that country, and stressed that accelerating implementation of the said decision will be a positive step in the development and deepening of the two countries’ relations.
Reminding the crimes committed by Saddam’s regime against Iraqi people and its military aggression against Iran and Kuwait, the two sides reiterated the necessity for a transparent and just trial of Saddam and the other high ranking officials of the former Iraqi regime.
