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Iran's attack on us military facilities in Iraq

Iraqi PM’s visit to Iran will be turning point in bilateral ties, says Rouhani

This is the Iraqi prime minister’s first foreign trip after assuming the office

TEHRAN, July 21. /TASS/. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is hoping that the current visit of Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi to Tehran will become a milestone in the Iranian-Iraqi relations, he said at a press conference following the talks with Al-Kadhimi.

"I am certain that this trip will be a turning point in the friendly relations between the two states," he said. The press conference was broadcast by the Iranian president’s press service.

Rouhani added, "the sides talked about [reaching] stability in the region, as well as about the fact that Iraq should play a special role in this process as a strong Arab country." According to the president, the politicians also discussed the status of the bordering Shatt al-Arab River (also known as Arvand Rud) and other issues of mutual interest. "Both states supported the idea to ramp up the trade turnover to $20 billion," he added.

In turn, Al-Kadhimi underlined that the country is not going to become a "foothold to carry out any attacks on Iran." He also noted Baghdad’s interest in advancing balanced relations with Tehran. "My current visit confirms the significance of historic ties between Iraq and Iran," the prime minister added.

According to him, "the Iraqi nation is seeking to build relations with Iran based on the principle of non-interference in domestic affairs." "Our countries are facing economic challenges, our nations expect a lot of us. It is impossible to achieve [our] goals without cooperation," he emphasized.

Iran-Iraq official visits

This is the Iraqi prime minister’s first foreign trip after assuming the office. The politician was supposed to travel to Saudi Arabia officially for the first time as the prime minister on Monday, however, the visit to Riyadh was postponed following hospitalization of Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

On Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif travelled to Iraq for an official visit. The top Iranian diplomat held talks with senior Iraqi officials, including Al-Kadhimi, Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein and leader of the Popular Mobilization Forces Falih Al-Fayyadh.

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