Eurasia Press & News
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani discussed bilateral relations, latest international developments, and regional issues in Doha on Friday.
According to a report of the Presidential Office’s Media Department, President Ahmadinejad, during the one-hour meeting, emphasized Iran’s firm determination to expand ties with all Persian Gulf littoral states, especially Qatar, and said that his country values relations with countries based on brotherhood and friendship and irrespective of the geographical size as well as expansion of cooperation to deepen religious, cultural and historical ties.
Ahmadinejad, referring to the US’ interventionist policies and attempts to create divisions among regional states as well as the failure of Washington’s and London’s policies in Iraq, said the occupiers in Iraq are in a serious dilemma and are looking for a way to exit from the country.
He said the occupiers are trying to create divisions among the Iraqi people by playing on their religions and ethnic values in order to divide them and prevent them from achieving their goals.
But, Ahmadinejad continued, the increasing awareness among peoples of the region and the world will seriously challenge bullying powers and global arrogance in trying to achieve their goals.
Sheikh Hamdan bin Khalifa al-Thani, for his part, said the closeness of stances of the two countries on various regional and international issues and their good relations as well as the strengthening of cooperation among regional countries will contribute to peace and stability and development of the region and the entire Muslim world as a whole.
The Qatari emir thanked President Ahmadinejad for accepting his invitation to attend the inaugural ceremony for the 15th Asian Games, and said regional countries, especially Iran and Qatar, must move in the direction of expansion of ties in all fields without regard to the desires of enemies.
Stressing on the necessity of US and allied forces departing from Iraq, the Emir said that all regional countries must try to achieve unity and avoid divisions, particularly between Shias and Sunnis of Iraq, because this will only cater to the appetite of the enemies.
The Qatari emir further expressed his country’s readiness to develop ties with Iran in all fields, and stressed that cooperation among regional countries necessitated their taking decisions free from the influence of states which are far away from the region.
Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani also stressed the need for achieving greater cooperation among regional states, particularly between Iran and Iraq, to defend security in the region, saying development needed a safe and secure environment.
Warning of outside interference in relations between countries of the Persian Gulf region,” he praised Iran as a “powerful, independent and advanced country” that is an asset to countries of the region.
