TEHRAN- Hossein Ali Haji Deligani, a senior member of the Iranian Parliament’s presiding board, says Western states are concerned about his country’s efforts to strengthen relations and cooperation with its neighbors, especially Russia and Iraq.

“One of the strategic policies of the Islamic Republic is expansion of relations with the friendly and neighboring countries which should be based on mutual interest. Last week, we saw that the heads of two branches of government traveled to Russia and Iraq, both of which were very effective given the strategic ties with both countries, and their effects will be even greater in future,” he remarked in interview with the Resalat newspaper published on Saturday. 
 
“It is natural that these trips disappoint the foreign countries and officials who are concerned about close ties between Iran and Iraq that enjoy commonalities in religious and cultural fields,” the MP added.
 
Appreciating Iran’s ties with Russia, he noted, “Also, Iran's relations with Russia, which has a high position in the international community and has been successful in confronting the ISIL terrorist group, are very worrying to the hegemonic powers.” 

Iran’s Judiciary Chief Ebrahim Raisi travelled to Iraq at the head of a high-ranking delegation last week. During his three-day visit to Iraq, Raisi met with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, speaker of Iraq’s Council of Representatives Mohamed al-Halbousi, Iraqi President Barham Salih and the head of the Supreme Judicial Council of Iraq Faiq Zidan.

The case of the assassination of Iran's Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani by the U.S. in Iraq was among the most important goals of Raisi’s trip.

Also, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf made a three-tour of Moscow starting on February 7. He led a high-ranking parliamentary delegation. The Iranian and Russian sides discussed bilateral ties and issues of mutual interests.

Qalibaf conveyed a message from Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei to Russian President Vladimir Putin which stressed strong and strategic relations with Moscow regardless of different political changes in the world.

EE/PA