Iraqi Prime Minister in Iran for Talks

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki arrived in Tehran, Iran, on Monday.
Iraqi Prime Minister in Iran for Talks
10/19/2010
Updated:
10/19/2010
[xtypo_dropcap]I[/xtypo_dropcap]raqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki arrived in Tehran, Iran, on Monday, as part of a tour to his country’s neighboring states to garner support for reconstruction efforts and seek economic cooperation. Shortly after arriving, Maliki held separate talks with Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

“We ask Iran and our neighbors to support our reconstruction and to boost economic and commercial cooperation, which will help improve stability in our region,” Maliki was quoted as telling the Iranian leaders in a statement issued by his office in Baghdad, reported by RTT News.

“Leaders, politicians, and those who care about Iraq must concentrate on the formation of a government as soon as possible,” Khamenei said.

“We hope that by forming the new Iraqi government the long period of hardship will end, and by different Iraqi groups cooperating, the destruction ends, and the people achieve prosperity,” Ahmadinejad told Maliki according to the Iranian state television station’s website.