Iran's Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi attached Monday great importance to its ties with Iraq as Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Barham Saleh arrived in Tehran for an official visit.
Talking to reporters in a joint news conference after his talks with the Iraqi official, Kharrazi said the two parties had agreed to choose various mechanisms for discussing their issues of interests.
The Iranian foreign minister voiced hope that with the discussions held Monday and future discussions, "we will witness relations between the two countries become broader and deeper." According to IRNA, Kharrazi said one of the key issues brought up in his talks with Saleh was the fate of Iranian diplomat Fereidoun Jahani and several other Iranians who have been kidnapped in Iraq, including staff of Iran's cooperatives chamber in Baghdad.
"We hope the Iraqi government will make its utmost effort to establish the fate of the kidnapped Iranian diplomat and secure the release of representatives of the cooperatives chamber, arrested in Iraq," the top Iranian diplomat commented.
Officials have said that Iran holds the interim Iraqi government responsible for the safety of its nationals.
Iraqi deputy prime minister is reportedly visiting to make preparations for Prime Minister Iyad Allawi's trip to the Islamic Republic following Vice President Ibrahim al-Jafari's surprise visit to Tehran last Tuesday. (albawaba.com)
© 2004 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
