Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani arrived in Iraq on Tuesday for talks with religious and political leaders.
On arrival at Najaf airport, Larijani said, "We are to visit the holy shrines and confer with senior Sunni and Shiite leaders and other religious authorities," ICANA reported.
The Iranian delegation will also call on leaders in Baghdad, namely the Iraqi Parliament Speaker Salim Abdullah al-Jabouri, President Fuad Masum, and Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to exchange views on two-way collaboration plus the regional developments and terrorism in the neighboring country.
He referred to cooperation of Islamic countries as the only solution to the crisis created by terrorist groups. "As regional countries have become more concerned about terror, the subject should be tackled through talks with different countries."
Meeting With Sistani
The senior lawmaker on Tuesday conferred with Iraq's top Shiite leader the Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.
After the meeting he told the reporters that "Ayatollah Sistani wishes peace for all Muslims, be they Sunni, Shiite, Turks or Kurds, and hopes they would enjoy safety and security," ICANA reported.
"I had the honor to meet Ayatollah Sistani and benefitted from his views and vision on a variety of issues (of mutual concern) on a wide range of topics, namely terrorist groups operating in Syria, Iraq and other regions."
He reiterated Tehran's quest for "tranquility and lasting peace in the region".
Larijani also briefed the prominent religious leader on his trips to Lebanon and Syria and elaborated Iran's non-stop efforts to help address the litany of challenges in Iraq.
He and Sistani discussed prospects for promotion of bilateral business relations "as Iran's foreign policy priority" toward its Arab neighbor.
According to Larijani, "Ayatollah Sistani called for strong moves to create a safe haven for the nations in the region," adding, "He meticulously follows regional developments."
In response to a question on the possibility of the disintegration of Iraq due to the seemingly unending differences between the central government and the Kurds, he said, "The issue of Iraq's Kurdistan region is an internal affair..
Iran has stood by the Iraqi nation ever since the crisis and will do all it possibly can to help the neighbor, he noted.
On the pattern of tumbling oil prices, Larijani said, "the collapse in oil prices is an act of conspiracy. He did not elaborate.
