Iraqi PM makes first official visit to Iran in bid to deepen ties

Ali al-Zaidi holds talks with senior Iranian officials on bilateral cooperation, shared interests and security.Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi is in Iran on his first official visit since assuming office in May.The Iraqi News Agency (INA) on Thursday said al-Zaidi and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian oversaw the signing of several agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoUs) pertaining to foreign affairs, finance, the economy and energy in Tehran.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Iraq PM heads to Iran: Can Baghdad redefine its relationship with Tehran?list 2 of 4Rubio says Iran ‘begging’ for a deal with US but not ready to make onelist 3 of 4Why is Iran still able to conduct deadly attacks on US military sites?list 4 of 4Which Middle East nations have nuclear programmes, and how were they built?end of listThe talks between the two leaders were aimed at strengthening strategic cooperation, accelerate joint economic and infrastructure projects, and coordinate on regional developments, including the implementation of the US-Iran MoU.Speaking at a joint meeting of senior Iranian and Iraqi delegations in Tehran, al-Zaidi thanked Iran for helping Iraq in its fight against the ISIL (ISIS) group, and reaffirmed his country’s commitment to security cooperation with Tehran, saying that Iraq would not accept hostile action against Iran by any party.“Iraq will never forget Iran’s support in the fight against the [ISIL/ISIL] terrorist group,” he said, according to Pezeshkian’s office.Pezeshkian said a comprehensive strategic cooperation plan would serve as a roadmap for expanding relations between Tehran and Baghdad, stressing that the security of the two neighbouring countries was closely linked.In a joint statement issued at the end of al-Zaidi’s visit, Iran and Iraq said regional crises can only be resolved through dialogue, diplomacy and constructive engagement among regional countries, reaffirming their support for peaceful political solutions based on the principles of international law.