Iran’s Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi has travelled to Iraq to discuss defense cooperation with the country’s officials

Iran's Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi has travelled to Iraq to discuss defense cooperation with the country’s officials.

Heading a high-ranking defense delegation, Vahidi arrived in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, on Wednesday on an official visit at the invitation of his Iraqi counterpart Sadoun al-Dulaimi.

During the visit, Vahidi will meet and hold talks with Iraqi top political and military officials to discuss matters of mutual interest and bilateral ties.

Upon arrival at Baghdad International Airport, Vahidi told reporters that his visit was aimed at exploring ways to expand defense ties between Iran and Iraq, exchange views on major international and regional developments and pursue the implementation of defense agreements between the two countries.

“I hope that the visit will lead to the further expansion of the Iran-Iraq defense cooperation and that we can contribute to the consolidation of regional peace, stability and security through the development of bilateral ties,” he said.

Vahidi added that the vast potentials and common grounds between Iran and Iraq in political, security, economic and cultural areas necessitate that both countries promote their ties to the highest level.

He went on to say that Iran's major policy was to expand all-out cooperation with regional countries, in particular neighbors, stressing that Iraq had a unique place in Iran's foreign and defense policy.

This is the first visit by an Iranian defense minister to Iraq since the victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979.