MNA – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Iraqi President Barham Salih held a phone talk on Monday on the development and strengthening of Tehran-Baghdad relations.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani congratulated the arrival of Eid al-Fitr in advance and expressed satisfaction that the political process in Iraq today has reached a positive result and that all Iraqi groups and tribes are alongside each other and the new cabinet has gained a vote of confidence, adding, "Political stability in Iraq is important for the region, and it will certainly be a precondition for Iraq to regain a prominent role in the region."

Today, the countries of the region are facing many problems, such as falling oil prices, the spread of coronavirus, security problems and, most importantly, US interference in the internal affairs of the countries, he said, adding, "Strengthening comprehensive relations and cooperation between friends can be a way to overcome problems."

Rouhani said that Iran's key policy is to strengthen relations and comprehensive cooperation with Iraq, adding, "The Islamic Republic of Iran is alongside the Iraqi government and nation like before, and favors protecting Iraqi sovereignty and non-interference of foreign powers in the future of the country’s government and people."

The President stressed the importance of developing economic relations and cooperation between Iran and Iraq, adding, "We must try to return the trade exchanges between the two countries to the previous routine by fully observing health protocols at all common borders. At the same time, I hope that in the future the level of economic relations between the two countries will increase more than before through planning."

At the same phone call, the Iraqi President Barham Salih congratulated the arrival of Eid al-Fitr in the coming days and wished the acceptance of prayers during the holy month of Ramadan, emphasizing the need for further development of relations and cooperation between the two countries.

Referring to the importance of political relations between the two countries, the Iraqi President stressed, "The stability and security of Iraq require cooperation between friendly and neighboring countries, especially with the Islamic Republic of Iran."

Explaining the political efforts and activities of various Iraqi groups and parties to appoint a prime minister in Iraq, Barham Salih said, "The realization of Iraq's sovereignty is an undeniable necessity that must be recognized for making decisions in the future, and foreign powers must not interfere in determining the future of the country."

Referring to the destructive interference of foreign powers in the region, the Iraqi president said, "The Middle East region cannot tolerate new crises and in this regard, the interference of foreigners in the region must end quickly."