Economic and security issues dominate Abdul-Mahdi’s first day of talks in Iran

Tabnak – Iraqi prime minister has travelled to Iran within the framework of a two-day official visit to meet high-ranking Iranian officials and discuss ways for enhancing bilateral ties. Boosting trade ties and cementing cooperation on fighting against terrorism was among the main issues discussed between him and the Iranian president in the first day of his visit.

In this vein, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says Iran and Iraq are keen to expand their cooperation in the fight against terrorism and smuggling while seeking stronger ties in the power, gas and oil sectors.

"Border cooperation to fight terrorism, narcotics and smuggling will become stronger between the two countries," Rouhani said at a joint press conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi in Tehran on Saturday. He added that Iran was ready to continue the export of electricity, gas and oil to Iraq.

He emphasized that Tehran and Baghdad had managed to take good steps in recent months towards the expansion of financial and banking relations and hoped that both sides would further boost ties in this regard during an upcoming visit by the governor of the Central Bank of Iran, Abdolnaser Hemmati, to Baghdad.

"We have plans to expand trade volume between the two countries to $20 billion in the future and we hope that we will reach this point within the next few months or years," Rouhani said. He also expressed hope that work on building a railway linking the two countries would begin soon.

Elsewhere in the presser, the Iranian president hailed deep-rooted and growing relations between the two countries and expressed hope that visa-free travel for both nations would lead to further expansion of relations.

The Iraqi prime minister, for his part, said Iran had played a leading role in the fight against terrorism and the promotion of peace and stability in Iraq and called for further development of mutual relations.

Abdul-Mahdi added that enhanced economic, security, trade and oil cooperation would lead to good achievements not only for Iran and Iraq but also for the entire world.

He stressed the importance of promoting peace in the Middle East and solving the Yemeni crisis through political means and said Iraq was firm to counter any threat by any country against Iran.

Elsewhere in his remarks in the meeting of the high-ranking Iraqi delegations, Rouhani said the development of Tehran-Baghdad ties in the fields of electricity, energy and railway would serve the two nations' interests and added, "We should make plans for the expansion of preferential tariffs and free trade between Iran and Iraq."

He also expressed Iran's readiness to share its experience with Iraq in technical and engineering services, including the construction of houses, power plants and dams.