Iranian vice president in Baghdad for 3-day visit

By Ali Jawad

BAGHDAD

Iran’s first vice president arrived in the Iraqi capital Baghdad on Wednesday leading an official delegation to discuss bilateral ties and mutual coordination between the two states.

According to an Iraqi Prime Ministry statement, Premier Haider al-Abadi received Eshaq Jahangiri once he arrived in Iraq, but gave no details of their discussions.

The three-day visit comes some two weeks after Iraq’s Foreign Ministry rejected remarks by Rahim Bor Azghadi, a member of the Iranian Supreme Council for the Cultural Revolution, saying that his country controls the five countries of the region, including Iraq.

For his part, a source in the office of Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari told Anadolu Agency: "The Iranian vice president arrived at the head of a political and economic delegation to discuss political developments in the region as well as developing economic ties with Baghdad."

The source, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media, added that during his visit Jahangiri will meet with Iraqi President Fuad Masum, Parliament Speaker Salim al-Jubouri, Shiite National Alliance leader Ammar al-Hakim, and other political leaders.