By IANS,
Tehran : Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maleki has arrived in Iran to seek Tehran’s assistance in restoring peace and stability in the country which has been plagued by years of insurgency and sectarian violence, official IRNA news agency reported Sunday.
The Iraqi premier, heading a high ranking delegation, arrived at Mehrabad Airport in Tehran Saturday evening, and was scheduled to meet President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and discuss the latest developments in Iraq, including an agreement between Iraq and the United States to be finalized next month.
Under the not yet concluded agreement, the US wants Iraq’s approval to maintain military bases in the war-torn country as well as permission to carry out military operations from those bases against other countries unilaterally. Iran has been opposing the agreement fearing that the country could be targeted easily in case of any fall out.
The Iraqi leader is also expected to reiterate the Iraqi government’s wish for resumption of Iran-US talks over Iraq’s security, which both sides have halted. Tehran has said it would not hold further talks with the current US administration.
Al-Maleki will also meet with other Iranian senior officials, including Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani and Secretary of Supreme National Security Council Saeed Jalili, and will discuss issues of mutual interest, especially the issue of security and energy, expansion of ties in all fields as well as regional and international issues.
Among others, he was also scheduled to meet Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and Intelligence Minister Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejeie.
Iraq’s ministers of finance, defence, water resources, and electricity are accompanying the prime minister.