The foreign minister said the Iraqi government has a central role to play in the campaign against the terrorist groups operating in that country.
In a visit to Baghdad on Tuesday, Mohammad Javad Zarif met with his Iraqi counterpart Ibrahim al-Jaafari.
In a joint press conference, the two officials called for expansion of bilateral relations, Fars news agency reported.
Referring to the intense fighting between Iraqi forces and terrorist groups, Zarif said, “We believe that in the battle against the groups which undermine security in the country, the move should be of an Iraqi nature which serves the (interests of) the country’s people and government.”
He added, “The Iraqi government should be at the center of the campaign, and we have always stood by the Iraqi government.”
Zarif continued, “In the fight against blind and brutal Daesh terrorists, Iran was the first state that rushed to help Iraqis due to its neighborly obligations.”
Daesh is the Arabic acronym for the self-declared Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
Jaafari, for his part, called for enhanced relations with Iran, adding that Iraq tries to maintain good relations with its neighbors.
He pointed out, “The issue of waiving the visa requirement for the two countries’ nationals was discussed (in the meeting).”
He touched on the battle against the Islamic State terrorist group and said, “Iran provided us with various types of support before the creation of an international coalition (led by the United States).”
