Iraqi President Receives Invitation From Rouhani To Visit Iran - Presidential Office

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th May, 2019) Iraqi President Barham Salih has received an invitation from his Iranian counterpart, Hassan Rouhani, to visit Iran, during his meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, the presidential office said.

On Saturday, Zarif held a meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi in Baghdad, and then attended talks with Salih.

"The Iranian Minister presented an invitation from President Rouhani to President Barham Salih to visit Tehran to follow up the common dossiers," the presidential office said in a statement, published on its official website late on Saturday.

According to the statement, the Iranian foreign minister said during the meeting that Tehran was interested in expanding cooperation between the two countries, and conveyed Iran's support for Iraq.

"During the meeting, they discussed the latest political developments at the regional and international levels, and the necessity to prevent war and escalation as well as to rely on calmness and adopt constructive dialogue so as to consolidate the foundations of peace in the region," the presidential office added.

Iraqi Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Sahaf told Sputnik on May 15 that Baghdad was ready to act as a mediator between Iran and the United States to help the two countries improve their relations.

In the face of an alleged threat coming from Tehran, the United States boosted its military presence in the Persian Gulf earlier in May, deploying a bomber task force and an aircraft carrier to the region.