Barham Salih:

Iraq welcomes Iran's HOPE initiative

TEHRAN (defapress) – Iraqi President Barham Salih has welcomed President Rouhani's regional peace plan, called Hormuz Peace Endeavor (HOPE), which was presented to the 74th session of UN General Assembly on Tuesday.

News ID: 78818

Date: 26 September 2019 - 12:52

Speaking with the Iraqi President Barham Salih on Wednesday evening in New York on the sidelines of the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani praised the amicable and deep-rooted ties with Iraq, saying the process of developing relations between the two countries has accelerated after the recent meeting of the two countries' authorities.

Stating that the cooperation potentials are so much higher than the current level, Rouhani stressed that the two countries need to make efforts to implement bilateral agreements, including the dredging of Arvandrud, which he described as beneficial to both nations.

President Rouhani went on to thank the Iraqi government for its good cooperation in hosting Iranian pilgrims during the Arba'een. He also stressed the resolve of banking relations between the two countries helpful for development of economic relations.

The Iranian president then called on the Iraqi government to remove obstacles on the path of implementing agreements in different fields, including the Shalamcheh-Basra railway and building border industrial parks.

For his part, the Iraqi president highlighted the importance of historical and cultural bonds between the two countries for development of relations.

He also referred to regional issues, especially the Yemeni crisis, welcoming Rouhani's Hormuz Peace Endeavor (HOPE) initiative, which is designed to include all countries of the region and aims to expand cooperation beyond regional security.

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