The newly-elected Iraqi president said Baghdad can act as a mediator to help resolve regional issues, in view of its relations with both Arab and western states.
“The region needs a new order … Iraq has a pivotal role and using its ties with Arab and western countries, it can … be a facilitator to help resolve the issues, not a battlefield for [opposing countries] to settle scores,” Barham Salih was also quoted as saying by ICANA in a Saturday meeting with Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani.
He added that Iraq can change the circumstances in the region and along this line, consultations with Tehran are crucial to achieve a positive result.
“Iraq is passing through a new stage and can be an active player in regional affairs. Therefore, relations with Iran are of high importance to us,” he said, noting that the shared goal of building solid infrastructure in the whole region is a key factor connecting the two states.
Salih hoped to solve regional problems on the back of Iranian deftness and Iraqi wisdom.
Referring to his earlier discussions with President Hassan Rouhani on the establishment of free trade zones on the border and many other joint projects, the Iraqi president noted that these projects will help improve bilateral economic relations.
Rouhani had said at the meeting that the two countries have agreed to increase their trade from the present level of $12 billion to $20 billion annually.
“We talked about a mutual visa waiver plan and ordered the relaxation of visa requirements for Iranian businesspeople, which will be gradually put in place,” Salih said.
Being close neighbors, Iran and Iraq face common environmental challenges, including dust storms and water shortage.
Salih called for negotiations, particularly over Karun, Karkheh and other rivers with shared sources, so that the interests of both countries will be upheld.
Anti-Terror Efforts
During the meeting with Salih, Larijani underlined Iraq’s significant role in the region, urging its government to contribute to international efforts to fight terrorism.
“The parliaments of Iran, Russia, Turkey, Afghanistan and Pakistan have set up a joint committee to combat terrorism, and we hope Iraq will also come on board,” he said.
The fates of Iran and Iraq are interlinked, according to Larijani, and any effort to separate the two nations is futile.
“Many Iranian companies are willing to cooperate in the reconstruction of Iraq, which requires the facilitation of banking mechanisms,” he said.
Emerging from years of devastating conflicts, Iraq is in dire need of fundamental reconstruction of its infrastructure.
The Majlis speaker also welcomed the idea of joint free industrial zones, saying that a similar experience with Turkey has been fruitful.
Larijani described the Iraqi president’s trip as “a turning point” in developing bilateral ties.
“The present period will pass and what remains will be the name of countries that worked with Iran during critical times,” he said.
