TEHRAN – Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mohammad al-Halbousi, who arrived in Tehran on Wednesday morning, held talks with top Iranian officials including his counterpart Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf .

The Iraqi parliamentarian was received at the airport by the deputy speaker of the Iranian parliament.

Al-Halbousi first visited Iran in March 2018.

During a press conference held after his meeting with Al-Halbousi on Wednesday, Qalibaf expressed his happiness at hosting his Iraqi counterpart and the accompanying delegation, stressing that the parliamentary policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran during the thirteenth government is to develop relations with neighboring countries and the region, especially economic, political, cultural and environmental relations.

The speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly stressed that “one of our most important demands from the Parliament and the Iraqi government is to open the land borders for Iranian pilgrims to visit the holy shrines during the Araba’een.”

He added that the Iranian people and officials express their hope that the Iraqi parliament will begin its work as soon as possible with a political agreement between all political groups.

Qalibaf pointed out that the Iraqi government will decide its future path, and the people, the government and the Iranian parliament will support the Iraqi government and parliament.

Qalibaf stressed that the strong relations between Iran and Iraq are effective in the region and the world. He said, “We must take steps at the parliamentary level of the two countries, the level of the Asian continent and the level of world parliaments.”

Al-Halbousi, for his part, appreciated the invitation he received from his Iranian counterpart to visit Iran. 

The Iraqi parliament is preparing a bill to criminalize cooperation and relations with Israel.

He said, “I hope that by strengthening relations, we will be able to remove the obstacles to the development and cooperation of governments. Because the development of relations will end in the interest of the nation of the two countries.”

Underlining that stability in Iran has a positive effect on Iraq and the region, al-Halbousi noted, “In Iraq, we are trying to solve regional problems through proxy diplomacy. We consider meeting and negotiation and understanding as the basis for solving problems between neighbors. Many of the problems require dialogue and consultation. Nations are looking for better relations and they want to improve their lives, their future and their economic conditions, and they want to prevent the return of the shadow of war.”

The Iraqi parliament speaker also met with Iranian President Ayatollah Seyed Ebrahim Raisi, Iranian Foreign Minister and Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.

Shamkhani told al-Halbousi that “The Islamic Republic of Iran considers political stability and lasting security in Iraq a national and regional necessity and it is ready to use all its capacities to fulfill the will of the Iraqi people.”

He cited the Iraqi constitution and legal procedures as a good basis for overcoming political challenges in the country.

Shamkhani added, “Iraq's national resources and wealth can be used for the comprehensive development of the country when it is extracted and exported solely under the management and supervision of the central government.”

The Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran pointed out some unacceptable actions that are being taken from inside Iraq against the interests of Iran.

He warned that the Islamic Republic of Iran will react swiftly and decisively with authority to any action that seeks to harm the security of Iran and the region.

Shamkhani said that Iraq's return to its true place in the Islamic world and the Arab world has a decisive role in creating stability and security in the region, adding that comprehensive cooperation to create a strong, prosperous, developed and stable Iraq in Iran's neighborhood is the permanent and unchangeable policy of the Islamic Republic.

The top security official stated, “Iranian companies are ready to strengthen the process of cooperation between the two countries more than before by participating in Iraqi economic and technical projects.”

In the meeting, al-Halbousi, referring to the lasting friendship between the two countries, put emphasis on further strengthening Tehran-Baghdad relations.

“The Iraqi parliament is preparing a bill to criminalize cooperation and relations with Israel, in order to prevent any possible steps to be taken in this direction,” he said.