IFP- Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Jaberi Ansari and Iraqi President Fuad Masum have discussed the latest regional developments and bilateral relations in a Sunday meeting in Baghdad.

During the meeting, the Iranian diplomat congratulated the Iraqi president on the latest victories achieved by the Iraqi army as well as the Popular Mobilization Units in their fight against terrorism, including the liberation of Mosul.

He also extended the Iranian president’s warm regards to Masum and invited him to take part in President Hassan Rouhani’s swearing-in ceremony, which is planned to be held in Tehran in two weeks.

Jaberi Ansari also briefed the Iraqi president on the issues discussed during the legal and technical meetings of the Iran-Iraq Joint Political Commission in Baghdad.

The Iraqi president, for his part, delivered his warm regards to his Iranian counterpart and praised the Islamic Republic for holding a free and fair presidential election in May.

He also voiced his country’s readiness to expand cooperation and bilateral relations with Iran in all fields and remove the current obstacles in the way of further expansion of ties.

Jaberi Ansari is visiting the Arab country to attend the fresh round of Iran-Iraq Joint Political Commission’s meetings on the legal and technical aspects of the 1975 Algiers Accord, which was kicked off earlier in the day.

The first meeting of the Joint Commission was attended by top officials and experts from the two sides. It was presided over by Jaberi Ansari and his Iraqi counterpart Nizar Kherallah.

The meeting is set to last until Monday. Iran and Iraq are participating in the meetings with full teams of political, legal, military, mapping, and shipping experts.

The Joint Political Commission holds regular meetings in Iran and Iraq. During the ongoing meetings in Baghdad, the two sides are slated to discuss the latest conditions of the joint border river Arvand Rud within the 1975 Algiers Accord.

Discussions on other issues like the shipping regulations in Arvand Rud and various ways to expand mutual cooperation between the two sides with the aim of taking economic advantage of the border river are also high on the agenda.

During his two-day visit to Baghdad, Jaberi Ansari plans to hold talks with other senior Iraqi officials on the regional developments as well as bilateral relations.