TEHRAN, Jan. 21 (UPI) -- The Islamic Republic of Iran pledged its continued support for Iraqi independence during a meeting with the Iraqi national security adviser.
The "Iranian nation has so far stood beside the Iraqi nation under all hard conditions and will do so in the future also, helping them wholeheartedly," Iranian Parliamentary Speaker Ali Larijani told the visiting Mowaffak al-Rubaie.
Rubaie praised the support his country had received from Iran since the ouster of the Saddam Hussein regime in 2003, the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency reported Wednesday.
Larijani took the opportunity to advocate a regional security system. His comments were backed by Secretary of the Iranian Supreme National Security Council Saeed Jalili.
"Ways and means required for enhancing and consolidating high-level joint security should be provided through the establishment of joint working groups," Jalili said, advocating a regional alliance.
The secretary said bilateral ties between the neighboring countries were interrelated as threats to one nation translated to a threat to the other.
