The presidents of Iran, Hassan Rouhani, and Iraq, Fuad Masum, on Wednesday agreed on the consolidation of a strategic alliance between the two neighbors, especially in the economic and commercial fields, and the fight against terrorism.
Rouhani met with Masum immediately after the official welcoming ceremony in this capital, where the Iraqi president arrived on Tuesday night heading a large delegation for a three-day visit to ratify the good bilateral ties.
According to government sources, the two statesmen will hold another official meeting today and it is almost certain that the visiting president will be received by the supreme leader of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, among other authorities.
The two heads of State noted the will to explore the two countries’ vast potentialities, as they share a border of more than 1,000 kilometers, in addition to similar cultures, traditions and religions.
Although one country is Persian and the other one is Arab, Iran and Iraq are the main Muslim Shiite powers in the Middle East, particularly in the region of the Persian Gulf.
The two countries waged a war for eight years (1980-1988) that was encouraged by the United States shortly after the triumph of the Islamic Revolution, but bilateral relations show encouraging signs today.
(Prensa Latina)