TEHRAN - Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Nechervan Idris Barzani met with Expediency Council Chairman Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani to discuss regional developments here on Sunday.

Rafsanjani said that negotiations are the best way to resolve regional issues, especially in Iraq.

He strongly condemned the relentless waves of terrorist bombings in Iraq that have claimed the lives of many innocent Iraqis and said that the Iraqis should not ignore the enemies’ capabilities.

They always devise more destructive plans after being defeated in order to spark sectarian conflicts, he warned.

The Islamic Republic of Iran and the country's private sector are ready to share their invaluable experiences in manufacturing, the oil and petrochemical industries, road construction, energy, and agriculture with the Iraqi government and nation, he said.

Barzani praised the Islamic Republic of Iran for the assistance it provided to the Iraqi nation, and especially to the Kurdish population of Iraq, both before and after the fall of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.

He expressed hope that Iran's private sector would play a more active role in the reconstruction of Iraq and Iraqi Kurdistan in particular.

The Iraqi delegation, which also attended the meeting, gave a brief report on political and economic developments in Iraqi Kurdistan.

Iran, Iraqi Kurdistan share views on expansion of ties: interior minister

Iran and the Iraqi Kurdistan region have common views on expanding ties and beginning a new era of relations, Interior Minister Mostafa Purmohammadi said here on Sunday.

The level of cooperation between Iran and Iraqi Kurdistan is appropriate, but still does not meet expectations, Purmohammadi told reporters at a joint news conference with Barzani.

“We have five border provinces (with Iraq) and three of them share borders with the (Iraqi) Kurdistan region, and the security of the borders is one of our most important concerns,” Purmohammadi noted.

Barzani said that the Islamic Republic had always helped the Iraqis, and especially the people of Iraqi Kurdistan, in difficult situations.

“Iran’s security is our security, and Iran has always been a good neighbor of (Iraqi) Kurdistan,” he stated.

“We will not allow any hostile act to be committed against Iran from the land of (Iraqi) Kurdistan under any circumstances, and we are prepared to allay any possible concerns,” he added.

Barzani went on to say that Iraqi Kurdistan welcomes Iranian investors in the fields of industry, energy, and tourism. On the five Iranian diplomats who were captured by U.S. troops in Irbil, Iraqi Kurdistan on January 11, he said, “We made the utmost efforts to help obtain their release… There is no reason to hold them, and we call for their prompt release.”