By RIA Novosti
Tehran : Russia and Iran have called for a timetable for withdrawal of foreign troops from Iraq, in a joint statement following bilateral talks in Tehran.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also said the unity, territorial integrity and sovereignty of Iraq must be maintained.
The two leaders said their countries intended to take part in rebuilding war-torn Afghanistan after US-led military operations there conclude.
“While discussing the situation in Afghanistan, the sides expressed concern over the continuing deterioration in the situation in the country, and the growing terrorist threat from the Taliban and other extremist forces,” the statement said.
Russia and Iran will be involved in strengthening statehood in Afghanistan, and turning it into a peaceful, democratic, independent country, the presidents said.
On the Middle East as a whole, the leaders confirmed their commitment to fair and comprehensive resolution of the region’s conflicts. They expressed concern over the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territories, in particular the hardships caused by Gaza’s isolation, and called on the rival factions to negotiate.
“Reaching an inter-Palestinian consensus and unity is an essential condition for realising the hopes of the Palestinian people, including the creation of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state,” the statement said.
Putin and Ahmadinejad also called for strengthening stability and security in the central Asian region, and in the Caucasus, “through closer cooperation with countries of the region based on mutual interests and respects”.