By Xinhua
Baghdad : Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Sunday that he supports a united and strong Iraq, noting that his visit represents a new chapter for the bilateral relationship.
“A united, strong and developed Iraq will serve all the region,” Ahmadinejad told a joint press conference with his Iraqi counterpart Jalal Talabani following their meeting.
“We had very good and positive talks in a friendly atmosphere and we reached agreements in all fields we have talked about,” he said.
The Iranian president said his visit will open a new chapter for the bilateral relationship as well as for the benefit of the whole region.
For his part, Talabani confirmed that the two leaders have discussed issues of common interest, disclosing that agreements between the two sides will be announced later.
Ahmadinejad arrived here on Sunday morning for a landmark visit, the first for an Iranian president since Iran’s Islamic Revolutionin 1979.
He was received by Talabani in his residence at the edge of the heavily fortified Green Zone in central Baghdad, which houses the Iraqi government offices and foreign embassies, including the U.S.one.
During Ahmadinejad’s visit, the two sides are expected to sign up to 10 economic agreements, according to the Iran’s official IRNA news agency.
Iran and Iraq fought a bloody eight-year war in 1980s, resulting in the loss of 1 million lives. The relations, however, has been picking up since Saddam Hussein was toppled in 2003 and the Shiites came into power.