TEHRAN –Iran’s Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami met on Saturday with his visiting Iraqi counterpart Juma Inad Saadoun.

Heading a high-ranking delegation of Iraqi military commanders, Inad Saadoun visited Tehran at the formal invitation of the Iranian defense minister.

During the meeting, Hatami said Iraq now enjoys better security than in the past, adding that Iran will continue to support the political process and the stability and security of Iraq and its territorial integrity.

According to the Iranian defense minister, good cooperation has been established between Iran and Iraq during the fight against terrorism, and Iran considers it a good model.

“We consider the development of Iraq as a prerequisite for establishing stability and security in that country, and we are ready to participate in the reconstruction and development of Iraq,” Hatami was quoted by Fars news agency as saying on Saturday.

Hatami also pointed out that Iran believes that the countries of the region must ensure and manage the security of the region themselves, and that stability and peace will not be possible as long as the trans-regional forces are present and involved.

He also took a jab at some regional countries that have recently established diplomatic relations with Israel, saying Iran views normalization deals between Israel and Arab countries as “a betrayal of all Muslim nations.”

Hatami also expressed Iran’s readiness to boost Iraq’s defense capabilities and meet the needs of the Iraqi Armed Forces.

For his part, Inad Saadoun appreciated Iran’s support for Iraq in the fight against the Daesh terrorist group, saying the Iraqi people will never forget the advisory and weapons support of Iran for Iraq during the fight against Daesh.

The Iraqi defense minister said the first goal of his trip to Iran is to boost and strengthen the relations between the two countries and the other goal is to get acquainted with the scientific and technological achievements of the Islamic Republic of Iran and gain valuable experiences in defense.

SM/PA