No limit for expanding Iran-Iraq ties, says Ahmadinejad (Roundup)

Feb 27, 2009, 13:28 GMT

Tehran - Iran sees no limits in expanding its ties with neighbouring Iraq, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told his Iraqi counterpart Jalal Talabani at the Iran-Iraq summit in Tehran on Friday.

'We will grant Iraq all our experiences in all relevant fields and from our side, there is no limit for expanding cooperation with our friends and brothers in Iraq,' Ahmadinejad told Talabani in their first round of talks.

The official news agency IRNA quoted Ahmadinejad as further saying that the four-way cooperation between Iraq, Iran, Syria and Turkey was vital for establishing the basis of long-term security in Iraq.

The Iranian president did not mention the US as part of this multilateral cooperation although Baghdad has constantly stressed the need for direct Iran-US talks to improve the security situation in Iraq.

Talabani said the groundwork had been laid for the maximum expansion of bilateral ties. The Iraqi president also thanked Iran for all the support granted following the collapse of the Saddam Hussein regime.

The two sides agreed to focus their cooperation on political, military, security, cultural and commercial fields.

Talabani is also due to meet with Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during this three-day visit.

The two sides were expected to review the political prospects in view of the new US administration of President Barack Obama.

Tehran is also expected to reiterate its demands on Baghdad to expel the Iranian opposition group, the People's Mujahedin of Iran (PMOI), from Iraq.