Iran-Iraq FMs Express Concern Over Outbreak Of War

Baghdad, Sept 9, IRNA -- Ministers of foreign affairs of Iran and Iraq in a meeting here Sunday night expressed deep concern about the outbreak of another war in the Middle East region. Mohammad Javad Zarif in his meeting with his Iraqi counterpart Hoshyar Zebari exchanged viewpoints on bilateral ties, and issues of mutual interest, particularly Syria. The Iranian foreign minister expressed worries about the existing threats in Syria and a number of countries threatening to launch military intervention there, reiterating, The joint efforts of Iran and Iraqi are focused on preventing the outbreak of this war. According to the report, boosting bilateral cooperation in the field of cooperation in international organizations was another topic on which the two sides were agreed in the meeting. The Iranian foreign minister, meanwhile, focusing on bilateral cooperation, referred to the existing potentials in economic, trade, and such other fields as pilgrimage trips of the Iranian citizens, border cooperation, energy transfer lines and engineering projects, announcing Iran’s readiness for broadening comprehensive bilateral cooperation. Meanwhile, the regular convening of political and consular consultation committees, joint economic cooperation commissions, and the two countries Supreme Cooperation Committee were among the other topics of discussion in this meeting. The Iraqi foreign minister in the meeting emphasized the need for expansion of bilateral relations, and the need for holding the session of the Joint Experts Committee aimed at pursuing the issues of mutual interest at technical level. Hoshyar Zebari also surveyed the two countries relations in various fields during the meeting and elaborated on his countrys worries about the latest developments in the Syrian crisis, particularly the threat of war against that country. According to IRNA, Mohammad Javad Zarif who is in Iraq on his first visit of a foreign country ever since accepting responsibility at the Islamic Republic’s foreign ministry visited Kazemain after his Monday morning and evening visits with the Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. During the meetings the Iranian and Iraqi officials exchanged viewpoints on the latest bilateral, regional and international developments. Zarif also had meetings with the Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Hussain Shahrestani, the Head of Iraqi Alliance Party Ibrahim Jafari, Deputy Prime Iraqi Minister Hassan Shaviz, and the Head of the Supreme Islamic Council of Iraq Seyyed Ammar al-Hakim and held talks with them on issues of mutual interest. Member of the Iranian Islamic Parliament National Security and Foreign Policy Kazzem Jalali, Iraq’s Ambassador to Tehran Muhammad Majid al-Sheikh, and Foreign Minister Assistant Hassan Kazzemi Qomi are accompanying the new Iranian foreign minister in this visit. The Iranian foreign minister is scheduled to pay pilgrimages to the holy shrines in Najaf and Karbala, too, in this foreign visit./end