In a Thursday meeting with Iraq’s Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in Tehran, President Hassan Rouhani further called for expanded cooperation between the two nations in environmental issues, economic and infrastructural fields as well as joint efforts to help resolve the crisis in Syria.

Rouhani added that the resolution to the crisis in Syria lies in “the total withdrawal of all terrorists in that country and the establishment of necessary grounds for holding free elections without any preconditions.”
Pointing to the Geneva 2 conference on Syria, scheduled for January 22, Rouhani said, “Our joint responsibility is to defend the principles and demands of the Syrian nation in all international conferences, particularly in the Geneva 2.”

Underlining the need for increased environmental collaborations between Tehran and Baghdad, Rouhani said the two must work together to combat the issue of sandstorms, which has plagued the two neighbors for years.

Maliki, in turn, extended his nation’s congratulations over Iran’s recent success in the nuclear talks with the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany and expressed confidence that through the efforts of the new Iranian administration, regional problems would eventually be resolved.

He further pointed to his government’s continuing struggle against terrorism and the need to engage in major efforts to rebuild his country.

Maliki arrived in Tehran on Wednesday to hold talks with senior Iranian officials.

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