TEHRAN -- Expediency Council Chairman Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki held a meeting in Baghdad on Monday night.

The two sides called for expansion of ties especially in commercial, economic, and cultural areas, the Iraq prim minister’s information office announced.
They also stressed the need for a rapid implementation of the past agreements signed between the two neighboring countries.
Praising the current high level of Tehran-Baghdad relations, al-Maliki called for further boost to the friendly cooperation between all regional countries.
Rafsanjani also congratulated Maliki on a successful holding of provincial election, calling it a great victory for the Iraqi security forces who have managed to establish peace and security in the country.
Iran’s Expediency Council chairman, who started a five-day tour of Iraq on Monday morning, held talks with Iraqi President Jalal Talebani on Monday evening and expressed Iran’s deep readiness to provide aid to Iraq.
Also, Rafsanjani in a joint press conference with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani in Baghdad on Monday said that occupation forces are expected to leave Iraqi territory as soon as possible.
“We hope occupation of Iraq will end as soon as possible and the Iraqi people will build a unified and independent state without presence of aliens and successfully achieve development,” he said.
Iraq’s constitution is an important path to the country’s independence, he said and urged all Iraqi religious and political groups to get united. In the meantime, Rafsanjani lauded the efforts of Iraqi officials to uphold national unity in the war-shattered country, IRNA reported