<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><strong><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Halbousi's visit to Iran according to Iranian media</span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #3598db;"><strong><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Prepared by Mohamed Mostafa Maash</span></strong></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament Mohammed al-Halbousi, heading a parliamentary delegation, visited <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>Tehran on April 27, where <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>the visit included a meeting with the speaker of the Iranian Shura Council, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, the Secretary-General of the National Security Council Ali Shamkhani, in addition to Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><strong><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Meeting Ali Shamkhani</span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Following his meeting with Shamkhani, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>Shamkhani stressed that political stability and lasting security in Iraq are in the interest of the region and <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>we will respond quickly and firmly to any action that harms our security, and also said that Iraq's national wealth and resources can be used for the comprehensive development of the country when they are extracted and exported only under the management and supervision of the government, and also referred to some unacceptable measures taken from inside Iraq against Iran's interests.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>The Islamic Republic, by adopting an <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>approach to dealing with threats intelligently, and monitoring the movements of the Zionist regime and the United States and its affiliates in power, will respond quickly and decisively to any action aimed at harming the security of Iran and the region.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">In this meeting, Halbousi noted his emphasis on the lasting friendship between the two countries and the further strengthening of relations between Tehran and Baghdad.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Referring to the anti-Israel approachof the Iraqi government and people, Halbousi pointed out that the Iraqi parliament is preparing a plan to criminalizecooperation and relations with Israel, in order to prevent any possible steps in this direction.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">"Iraq looks forward to building the best relations with its neighbours and brothers, in which the preservation of sovereignty, good neighbourliness and the protection of citizens' rights are firm principles in its relations," al-Halbousi said.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">He stressed the need todevelop comprehensive cooperation between the two countries, especially the continued export of Iranian gas to Iraq , saying: We hope that this problem will be solved soon.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><strong><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Meeting with Muhammad Baqir Qalibaf</span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>Mr. Halbousi also pointed out in his press conference with Qalibaf, Speaker of the Iranian Shura Council, "In Iraq, we try to solve regional problems through proxy diplomacy, and we know that solving problems between neighbors is through dialogue and understanding, and many problems need dialogue and consultation, as countries better seek better relations and a better life.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">According to the Iranian news agency ILNA, the speaker of the Iraqi parliament, Mohammed al-Halbousi, said at the press conference: "First of all, I thank you for <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>inviting us and <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>for <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>the warm welcome, and <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>I confirm that the relations between <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>the two neighboring countries, friends and brothers have been and will remain stable."</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">"I hope that through strengthening relations, we will be able to remove obstacles to development andcooperation between governments, and that the development of relations will be in the interest of the peoples of both countries," he said. Stability in Iran has a positive impact on Iraq and the region, just as stability in Iraq affects Iran and the region.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Halbousi stressed that respect for the sovereignty of states, good neighborliness and the protection of the rights of citizens must be principles for establishing <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>relations between countries and trying to improve and develop relations between the countries of the region.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>"In the international community, the countries of the region must have common positions because we also have common challenges and we must return to the zone of peace and stability because God has given us many material and spiritual blessings for our region, and our behavior must be commensurate with thesefoundations," he said.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Referring to the difficult economic conditions thatcountries have experienced in the past years, "We have seen economic problems due tothe outbreak of Corona and it was not a good year.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">In conclusion, Mr. Halbousi said: "Obstacles to parliamentary economic and social relations must be removed and everything necessary must be done, from passing laws to taking parliamentary decisions to improve relations."</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Ghalibaf pointed out that <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>the policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the eleventh parliament and the thirteenth government is to develop relations with priority countries, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>from neighboring countries <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>in the region. In particular, we call for <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>deep economic, political and cultural ties, particularly cooperation in the field of the environment, which has been used as an opportunity for travel and negotiations between me and the Speaker of the Iraqi Council of Representatives. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">The speaker of the Iranian Shura Council stressed that "the most important demand of the Iranian people is the subject <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>of the visit, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>especially with regard to the opening of land roads in the <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>fortieth visit, which is what we ask from <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>the Iraqi parliament and the Iraqi government." <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">He continued: "The hope and desire of the Iranian people and the officials of the Islamic Republic is that the Iraqi Council of Representatives will carry out its work as soon as possible with a political agreement between allpolitical groups andachieve <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>what the Iraqi people want, in the future the Iraqi government will decide its fate." The Iranian nation, government and parliament will have the necessary support from the Iraqi government and parliament.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">The <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>Speaker of the Iranian Shura Council <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>said: "We hope that<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>both Iran and Iraqwill always be strong, and <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>we will all join hands because Iran and Iraq have an important role in regional, political, security, economic and stability issues." </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Qalibaf stressed that the strong bilateral relations between Iran and Iraq are effective in the region and the world: wemust take steps at the parliamentary level of the two countries, the level of the Asian continent and the level of the parliaments of the world.</span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify; background: white;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Qalibaf also stressed during the meeting that strengtheningrelations with neighboring countries and the regionis Iran's <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>priority in its foreign policy, noting that "his country hopes that the government and people of Iraq will be able, through a political agreement between its various components, to form a government as soon as possible."</span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify; background: white;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN;">He added: "We discussed today ways to strengthen relations with the Iraqi party economically, politically, culturally and environmentally," stressing that "Iran will provide the necessary support to the Iraqi government and parliament."</span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify; background: white;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN;">The speaker of Iran's Shura Council explained that the two countries "play an important role" <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>in regional political, security andeconomic issues, hoping that "the two countries will enjoy strength and that joint cooperation between them will continue."</span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify; background: white;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN;">He continued: "Bilateral relations between Iran and Iraq are influential regionally and globally, so parliamentary relations must be strengthened at the level of the two countries, Asia and the world." </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><strong><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Themeeting with my boss </span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">According to the ILNA news agency, Mr. Ebrahim Raisi said in a meeting with the head of the Iraqi parliament, Mohammed Al-Halbousi, on Wednesday afternoon, referring to thousands of years of friendship and good-neighborliness between Iran and Iraq: Friendly prevails in the peoples of Iran and Iraq; we are friends during each other's difficult times.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Expressing satisfaction with the <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>positive level of interaction between the Iranian and Iraqi parliaments, Raisi said that the Iraqi parliament can be a place to expand parliamentary cooperationwith neighboring countries and the region, and the Islamic Republic of Iran will not prevent any assistance from you. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Congratulating the re-election of the Speaker of the Iraqi Council of Representatives to this post, Raisi said: "I hope that the members of the Iraqi Council of Representatives will help with understanding and sympathy in solving the various and comprehensive problems of the Iraqi people and <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>completing the formation of the Iraqi government as soon as possible by electing the President of the Republic and PrimeMinister and establishing broader relations with neighboring countries, especially Iran.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">The president described the cohesion and unity of Iraq's various ethnic currents and groups as the key to the country's success, adding: "Creating divisions between or within religions and ethnicities will make the enemy infiltrate and manipulate the interests of countries."</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">"I hope that the Iraqi parliament will pass the necessary laws to prevent the formation of factors that threaten the security of neighbors and destabilize the region," Raisi said.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">The Speaker of the Iraqi Council of Representatives, Mohammed Al-Halbousi, said in the meeting that we are here to emphasize the need to continue and strengthen thefriendly relations between the two peoples and countries, and it is in the interest of all Iraqis to strengthen their friendship with Iran.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">"The two countries have gone through difficult years and we have to work together and work together tocreate a different future for our two countries, and try to make Iraq <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>and Iran friends in times of hardship and peace," the speaker of the Iraqi parliament said.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><strong><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister</span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">The Speaker of the Iraqi Council of Representatives, Mohammed Al-Halbousi, met on Wednesday evening, Hussein Amir Abdullahian.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">According to the Iranian Students News Agency, the foreign minister affirmed Iran's support for Iraq's stability and said: "Iran considers its security the security of Iraq and considers the security of Iraq its security."</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Referring to the participation of the Iraqi people in the many elections in this country, Amir Abdollahian stressed that Iran supports the political process in this <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>country and considers the presence of a strong Iraq a guarantor <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>of peace and security in the region.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">"Iranian opponents of the revolution and separatists should not find a safe base in Iraq to threaten Iran," the foreign minister added.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Amir Abdollahian considered the role of the parliaments of the two countries important in advancing relations.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">The foreign minister described the Zionist regime as a threat to the security of the region and described the celebration of Quds Day as a step towards confronting the regime's conspiracies.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">As Mohammed al-Halbousi stated at this meeting: Iraq has always benefited from and appreciates the support of the Islamic Republic of Iran.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">The speaker of the Iraqi parliament added: "The Iraqi constitution does not allow individuals or organizations to act to threaten their neighbors."</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Halbousi thanked Iran for its support for Iraq in confronting ISIS and terrorism.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">The Speaker of the Iraqi Council of Representatives also described defending Palestine and opposing the actions of the Zionist regime as a popular demand in Iraq.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">In an interview with the international news agency ILNA, Danai Farr said:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">The former Iranian ambassador to Iraq said: "Our desire and goal is to develop relations between the two countries and declare the assistance that Tehran can provide to get Iraqout of the political impasse." Of course, the final and fundamental decision-makersare the Iraqi parties and groups, and no actor, whether regional or transregional, can impose an issue inside Iraq.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">In an interview with the Iranian news agency ILNA Hassan Danaefar analyzed the purpose of the visit of the speaker of the Iraqi parliament, Mohammed al-Halbousi, to Iran, and in response to a question about whether the political vacuum and impasse in Iraq will also be discussed during the visit, the signs indicate that the formation of the government and the election of the prime minister and the president of the republic took a long time, and as Iraqis say there is a kind of political obstructionin this country. Of course, it can <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>The Islamic Republic, given its good neighborliness, close relations, influence and contacts, can help Iraqi friends, parties and political currents to emerge from this situation. As a result, Mr. Halbousi's visit to Tehran can be assessed in the same way.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">The former ambassador in Baghdad, regarding the validity of the report of "Baghdad Today" about his leadership of the delegation that will go to Iraq to address the issue of the political vacuum: "There <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>is a lot of news <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>about this, of course I traveled several times to Iraq and made a trip to Erbil two weeks ago, and perhaps the previous visits were reflected in their news, it is normal that we will have trips in the future.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">He continued: "Our desire and goal of these trips is to develop relations in line with the constructive cooperation between the two countries." We believe that the final and primary decision-makersare the Iraqi parties and groups, and that no regional or transregional player can impose an issue inside Iraq.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">"During the recent trip to Erbil, we also had frank and clear conversations with some."</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Asked about the Iraqi parliament's report, Danai Farr said there was no evidence that the targeted building had links to Israel: "I read the report... It contains different paragraphs, and the report does not make a clear judgment on whether this building has anything to do with the Zionist regime or not, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>this is a specific security problem that usually appears among more specific security groups, and <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>Iraq's withdrawal of its complaint indicates a kind of persuasionin Iraqi society. Of course, reports are prepared and published based on analysts' access to their data and information.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Danai Far also spoke about the impact of the fifth round of Iranian-Saudi talks and the return of stability to the countries of contact, including Iraq. Of course, this rule applies not only to Iraq, but to all countries in the region, because international relations today act as containers <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>and the issues of countries are affected and affected by those around them. Certainly, the better relations between the countries of the region, the more positive they will be in Iraq.</span></p>
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