Iraqi Pesident Jalal Talabani is due in Tehran on Saturday, Iraqi Ambassador to Iran Mohammad Majid al-Sheikh disclosed here on Tuesday.
Al-Sheikh told IRNA that during his stay in Tehran, Talabani will exchange views with Iranian officials on promoting two-way ties, on full implementation of mutual agreements and on a host of security issues of mutual concern.
He said Talabani’s Iran visit is of significance and would have drastic impact on stronger bilateral ties. Ministers of oil, education, science and technology will accompany Talabani, he added.
"Tehran-Baghdad ties should improve to the extent that Iranian and Iraqi nations would be able to cross borders just with a single identification card and a ticket," said al-Sheikh.
He said many agreements signed by the two sides have either been implemented or are in the process of implementation. "For instance, two million liters of kerosene is daily exported to Iraq from Iran and liquefied gas will also be exported from Iran to Iraq in future." "Furthermore," he noted, "By the next six months, up to 300 megawatts of electricity would have been exported to Iraq from Iran and there is no problem with other contracts."
Elsewhere in the interview, al-Sheikh said that under an agreement, the number of Iranian pilgrims visiting Iraq would reach 5,000 daily once security conditions improve.
On continued presence of the terrorist Mujahideen Khalq Organization members in Iraq, al-Sheikh said Iraqi people consider them as those who were loyal to Saddam and against the Iraqi nation.
He said Iraqi government has set a six-month deadline for the members of the outfit to leave Iraqi terrirory and ordered them not to act against neighboring states.
IRNA – Nov 21