SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Iran’s top national security advisor Ali Shamkhani who led a delegation arrived in the Iraqi capital on Sunday.
Ali Shamkhani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), was welcomed by his Iraqi counterpart Qasim Al-Araji in Baghdad, according to the IRNA official.
The top Iranian official plans to hold talks on matters related to security and the economy with the Iraqi officials.
Nour News, which is affiliated with Iran’s (SNSC) in a report on Saturday earlier said Shamkhani will visit Iraq as part of his “regional tour”.
The report said, “maintaining and promoting more than $10 billion trade exchanges” with Iraq requires “solving some security challenges” between Tehran and Baghdad as well as “speeding up the implementation of economic agreements and smoothening banking cooperation.”
During his visit to Iraq Shamkhani is accompanied by the head of Iran’s central bank, the head of the foreign intelligence unit in the intelligence ministry, and a deputy foreign minister for the Persian Gulf region, according to the report.
The top Iranian official is also expected to meet the Iraqi president, prime minister, and parliament speaker, another report on Saturday said, citing an “informed source” in the Iraqi government.
Shamkhani’s visit to Iraq comes weeks after US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made a surprise visit to Baghdad and announced that the U.S. military presence will continue in the Arab country.
