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Iraqi president calls for strategic ties with Iran

TEHRAN, March 27 (KUNA) -- Visiting Iraqi President Jalal Al-Talabani called for establishing strategic ties with Iran for service of interests of peoples of the two countries and the whole region.
Iraq calls for the establishment of long-term relations with Iran, for the two nations should shoulder new responsibilities under current surrounding circumstances that warrant further coordination and usage of available potentials for the service of the two peoples and the region, said the Iraqi president in a statement after meeting his Iranian counterpart, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, late on Saturday.
The two nations share a common experience; struggle against dictatorships, and now is high time for development and bolstering the relations between the two governments and people, he added.
For his part, the Iranian president affirmed depth of the bilateral relations between the Iraqi and Iranian peoples and called for elevating the level of these ties further.
Mutual cooperation between the two sides has been positive and constructive and there are current proper circumstances and resources that can help in making further progress in the two countries, Ahmadinejad said, putting Iran's resources at the disposal of the Baghdad leadership.
Current developments on the international arena serve the interests of Iran and Iraq, that could play a paramount role on the regional political arena, the Iranian leader added.
Al-Talabani is visiting Iran to attend the Nowruz celebrations.
The two neighbors had engaged in a war in the 80s, during era of the ousted Iraqi regime of the executed dictator Saddam Hussein.
Relations between Baghdad and Tehran have noticeably improved since the ouster of Saddam's regime. (end) mw.rk KUNA 271100 Mar 11NNNN