Iraqi, Armenian presidents hold talks in Baghdad to boost ties

Baghdad, Feb 28 (IANS) Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid and his Armenian counterpart Vahagn Khachaturyan met in Baghdad and discussed means to enhance bilateral ties in various aspects.

A statement by the media office of the Iraqi presidency said on Tuesday that the two leaders discussed ways to enhance bilateral relations and cooperation in various fields, including the economy, trade and investment, Xinhua news agency reported.

During the meeting, Rashid stressed the importance of intensifying international efforts to "continue combating the threat of terrorist organisations and extremist ideology that target the security and lives of everyone without exception," the statement said.

Rashid also commented on the tension between Armenia and Azerbaijan, stressing Iraq's position calling for dialogue and adopting political solutions to settle their differences.

Later on Tuesday, the two Presidents held a joint conference, during which Rashid welcomed Khachaturyan and expressed his readiness to "work with his Armenian counterpart to make this visit an essential milestone in improving relations between the two countries".

For his part, the Armenian President told the press conference that the talks discussed ways to develop bilateral relations and many issues related to regional developments.

"We stressed the need to reach a peaceful settlement of existing conflicts based on the rules of international law and respect for the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and equality among all countries," Khachaturyan added.