Iranian Vice Presidnet Mohammad Reza Rahimi assured in a meeting with Iraqi Oil Minister Abdul Karim Al-Luaibi that Iran and Iraq should increase their cooperation, especially in the fields of oil, energy, and regional security.

Iranian Vice Presidnet Mohammad Reza Rahimi assured in a meeting with Iraqi Oil Minister Abdul Karim Al-Luaibi that Iran and Iraq should increase their cooperation, especially in the fields of oil, energy, and regional security, the Iranian news agency IRNA reported Sunday.

Quoting Rahimi, IRNA reported that the Iranian vise president stressed that regional countries, not foreigners, should be the only ones responsible of the security in the region.

“They are here so that they can supply their own interests, while we want peace, friendship and security for all nations and countries,” Rahimi said in reference to the Western intervention in the Middle East.

He further indicated that “aggressive powers should get out of the region and let regional countries provide security by themselves.”

For his part, the Iraqi oil minister, who is currently in Tehran, assured that “in the field of oil cooperation, the two countries will witness important and effective steps in the future.”

“The enemies are following the same goal by their different plots in the region” IRNA quoted Al-Luaibi as saying.

He also pointed out that “in the current situation, expansion of connections and cooperation between Iran and Iraq is very necessary,” adding that “the enemies of Iran, with various pretexts, imposed different sanctions against Iran”.