Iran favors peace for Iraq: speaker

Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said Thursday that Iran desires peace for Iraq, local satellite Press TV reported.

Stability and peace in Iraq is in the interest of all countries in the region, said Larijani in a meeting with Iraq's visiting Deputy Prime Minister, Rafie al-Issawi.

"A stable and peaceful Iraq is beneficial to all regional countries. The Islamic Republic of Iran is eager to see the Iraqi people live in peace and prosperity," he was quoted as saying.

"Like always, Iran will continue to do its best to help bring better living conditions to Iraq," Larijani added.

Commenting on the recent Iraqi elections, the speaker said that he hopes all Iraqi political parties would cooperate in an atmosphere free of foreign interference, according to Press TV.

For his part, Issawi hailed Iran's role in the region and said that Iran can play a major role in helping Iraq overcome its problems.

Heading a political delegation, the Iraqi deputy prime minister arrived in Tehran on Wednesday and is scheduled to meet with the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Saeed Jalili, and other Iranian high-ranking officials.

Source: Xinhua