- Title: IRAQ: Rafsanjani starts three day visit to Iraq
- Date: 3rd March 2009
- Summary: BAGHDAD, IRAQ (MARCH 2, 2009) (REUTERS) IRAN'S FORMER PRESIDENT ALI AKBAR HASHEMI RAFSANJANI GETTING OFF PLANE/ IRANIAN DELEGATION IN THE BACKGROUND RAFSANJANI GREETING IRAQI OFFICIALS IRANIAN WOMEN GETTING OFF PLANE IRAQ'S DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER GREETING RAFSANJANI IRANIAN DELEGATION GETTING IN VEHICLES VEHICLES DRIVING OUT OF BAGHDAD AIRPORT RAFSANJANI AND TALABANI ATTENDING NEWS CONFERENCE JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) IRAQ'S PRESIDENT, JALAL TALABANI, SAYING: "The dignified sheikh is visiting Iraq as a prominent guest and he will meet all the officials of the Iraqi government and visit the holy shrines. He will also meet the different sects of the Iraqi society and definitely will discuss the joint relations between Iraq and Iran." TALABANI AND RAFSANJANI GIVING NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Farsi) IRAN'S FORMER PRESIDENT, ALI AKBAR HASHEMI RAFSANJANI, SAYING: "Until now we did not find a chance to talk about joint issues. We will start negotiations after this meeting. Actually, before two to three days, we had met his excellency president Talabani and the delegation accompanying him in Iran and we had discussed some issues and we will continue these negotiations here in Baghdad." TALABANI SPEAKING TO REPORTER/ LEAVING NEWS ROOM
- Embargoed: 18th March 2009 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Iraq
- Country: Iraq
- Topics: International Relations
- Reuters ID: LVA7N987GDIO57O9QKPEOZ6L0R7W
- Story Text: Iran's former president Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani arrives in Baghdad for a three-day visit and a meeting with Iraqi president Jalal Talabani Iran's influential former president Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani arrived to Baghdad on Monday (March 2) for a three-day visit.
Rafsanjani, who currently is chairman of the Assembly of Experts and head of the Expediency Council to hold talks with Iraqi officials on sharing Iran's experiences for the reconstruction of Iraq and the country's development programs.
Rafsanjani's trip comes following Iraqi President Jalal Talabani 's visit to Iran from Thursday to Saturday, which was the Iraqi leader's fourth trip to Iran since he assumed the presidency in 2005.
In a news conference held in Baghdad, Iraq's president Jalal Talabani said that Rafsanjani will meet all the Iraqi officials and different sects from the Iraqi society.
"The dignified sheikh is visiting Iraq as a prominent guest and he will meet all the officials of the Iraqi government and visit the holy shrines. He will also meet the different sects of the Iraqi society and definitely will discuss the joint relations between Iraq and Iran,"
Talabani said.
Rafsanjani said that the Iranian delegation will discuss bilateral relations and continue negotiations started in Tehran.
"Until now we did not find a chance to talk about joint issues. We will start negotiations after this meeting. Actually, before two to three days, we had met his excellency president Talabani and the delegation accompanying him in Iran and we had discussed some issues and we will continue these negotiations here in Baghdad," he added.
Iran and Iraq fought a cruel eight-year war in the 1980s. However, the relationship between the neighbours has picked up since the fall of Iraq's former President Saddam Hussein and his Sunni power in 2003.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad travelled to Iraq in March 2008 in the first ever visit by an Iranian president to the neighbouring country.
In January, Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki paid an official visit to Tehran to improve bilateral ties, which was al- Maliki's fourth visit to Iran since he took office in 2006. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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