Iraq to have a bright future, says Ahmadinejad (Roundup)

Mar 27, 2010, 15:55 GMT

Tehran - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad predicted that Iraq would have a bright future, state media reported Saturday.

'Iraq will have a bright future and Iran would always support unity and security in Iraq,' Ahmadinejad told visiting Iraqi President Jalal Talabani after the announcement of the Iraqi parliamentary election's results.

'Iran considers any progress in Iraq like its own progress and has no limit in expanding bilateral ties,' the Iranian president added.

The results of the March 7 Iraqi parliamentary election confirmed a victory by the faction of former Iraqi prime minister Ayad Allawi.

Talabani is on a short visit to Tehran to attend a ceremony marking the new Persian year, which started March 21.

In his remarks Saturday, Talabani said that the Iraqi people were the main winners of the March 7 parliamentary election.

'The Iraqi people are the main winners of the election, which prepared grounds for formation of a national government,' Talabani said.

'The election will open a new chapter of constructive developments in Iraq, another step forward towards democracy and another manifestation against violence and terrorism,' Talabani added.

Allawi won 91 seats in the 325-seat parliament, only two seats ahead of the State of Law coalition, led by his rival, current Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. The Iraqi National alliance came third with 68 seats.

Iran, whose support for al-Maliki was an open secret, has constantly stressed that the Islamic state's main concern was peace and stability in Iraq and would cooperate with any party which would win the elections.

Iran and Iraq fought a long and costly war from 1980-1988 that left millions dead. But, since the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, the Shiite and Kurdish-dominated government has established close relations with Iran, a common source of complaint among Iraqi Sunni politicians.