"We welcome current good relations between Iran, S Arabia"

Iraqi FM

TEHRAN, (MNA) – Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuaad Hussein said that his country welcomes the ongoing good relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Saudi Arabia.

The top Iraqi diplomat made the remarks at a joint news conference with Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwim, Secretary General of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC) held after their meeting in Baghdad on Monday.

"Iraq's foreign policy aims to strengthen and develop relations with neighboring countries, and in this regard, we have strengthened our relations with the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf," he said.

Hussein pointed to the country's role in strengthening the collective security of the region and said, "Strengthening security in the region is a collective issue, and we can see the result of relations between the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf with the neighboring country of Iran and the neighboring country of Turkey, and Iraq has played a role in this."

"In the meeting, we emphasized that providing security in the region is collective work, and cooperation to solidify regional security is a must," he further noted.

"We also discussed the economic summit between Iraq and the PGCC Arab countries which will be held in the UAE later this year and is considered an important summit."

"In the meeting, a series of other issues were discussed, which are about how to strengthen economic relations with the PGCC Arab countries. The issue of electricity is one of the important issues under discussion, and the linking of Iraq's electricity grid through the network of the Arab countries of the [Persian] Gulf and Saudi Arabia was one of the main topics discussed, and we hope to reach the final stage in relation to linking the electricity networks."

He further stated Iraq will keep its doors open to the Arab companies of the Persian Gulf for gas and oil and their investments.