Iraq and Iran Wednesday pledged to strengthen ties and put the past behind them, even as Washington accuses Iran of supplying new and more lethal weapons to anti-U.S. militias.
Iraq
and
Iran
Wednesday pledged to strengthen ties and put the past behind them, even as
Washington
accuses
Iran
of
supplying new and more lethal weapons to anti-U.S. militias.
Iran
and
Iraq
,
which fought a 1980-88 war that was one of the bloodiest conflicts of the past
century, killing an estimated 1 million people, have drawn closer since the
U.S.-led invasion of 2003.
But
U.S.
officials have expressed concern at the Islamic republic's growing influence in
Iraq
,
which is strategically important to both
Tehran
and
Washington
.
"I would like to announce to all Iraqi people that we have forgotten all
the pain of the past,"
Iran
's
First Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi told Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri
al-Maliki at a ceremony to sign several agreements to boost cooperation in
culture, technology, science, communication, health and tariffs.
"All of what Iranians love exists in
Iraq
,"
Rahimi said, referring to the most revered shrines of Shiite Islam in the Iraqi
cities of Najaf and
Karbala
,
where Iranian pilgrims throng, braving the bombings which rock
Iraq
each
day.
"We are ready to stand beside
Iraq
and
build this country, to provide security," Rahimi said. "We came to
announce our full support to Maliki's government."
Maliki owes his premiership in large part to
Tehran
. It
was Shiite Iran that pressured its powerful Shiite proxies to throw their
weight behind Maliki, after an inconclusive March 2010 election which he lost
by a single vote.
Maliki formed a unity government in December, after a powerful Shiite alliance
announced its backing.
"We would like to thank the Iranian side for this initiative and this
visit, which confirms the desire of both
Iraq
and
Iran
to
improve relations," the premier told his guest.
Maliki said that relations between the two Muslim neighbours should be improved
even more, inviting all Iranian companies and businessmen to
Iraq
with
open arms.
"We invite all Iranian companies who want to invest to come," said
the prime minister. "The invitation is open for all businessmen in the
private sector."
Last week,
Iraq
signed a $365 million contract for
Iran
to
build a pipeline to supply natural gas to power stations in
Baghdad
.
In his comments, Rahimi noted that the room where they were standing--inside
the
Republican
Palace
of
ousted dictator Saddam Hussein and his Sunni-dominated regime--was where the
battles against
Iran
were
planned during the war.
Διαβάστε ακόμα
Τρι, 24 Σεπτεμβρίου 2024 - 19:58
Τρι, 24 Σεπτεμβρίου 2024 - 19:54
Τετ, 18 Σεπτεμβρίου 2024 - 18:32
Τετ, 18 Σεπτεμβρίου 2024 - 18:27
Τρι, 17 Σεπτεμβρίου 2024 - 20:01