Iranian president in Iraq on historic trip to former rival
Sunday, 02 Mar 2008 08:16
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's trip to Iraq is being seen as a landmark visit
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Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has landed in Iraq in what is being seen as landmark visit to the neighbouring country.
The two states fought an eight-year long war in the 1980s that claimed over a million lives but relations between the two former rivals have improved since the removal of former Iraqi ruler Saddam Hussein from power.
The Iranian leader was welcomed by Iraqi president Jalal Talabani on his arrival in Baghdad and the two heads of state are expected to discuss cooperation on a number of issues during the visit.
Iran's state-run news agency Irna reports that the agenda for the bilateral talks include transport, energy cooperation, commercial ties and development aid to Iraq. The US, which has over 100,000 troops in Iraq, has previously accused the Persian country of supporting terrorist attacks in the neighbouring country.
Mr Ahmadinejad, a stern critic of the American presence in the region, has denied interfering in Iraq's affairs and has said the present visit would help develop "brotherly relations" between the two countries as well as "regional peace and security".
In comments made on Iranian television before his trip, he said: "If there is peace and brotherhood but not occupation in Iraq, and all respect the territorial integrity of that country, then, this (my trip) will benefit everybody.
"The two nations of Iran and Iraq are closely intertwined. Our cultures, civilizations, histories and beliefs are very close to each other and with the exception of a short period when a dictator named Saddam, with a special mission, created a distance between the two countries, the two nations have always been together," he added.