Iraqi minister asks Iranian firms to pick up bigger role in Iraq's reconstruction

Iraqi Communications Minister Kazzem Hassan al-Rashid appreciated Tehran for its continued assistance and aids to Baghdad, and called for partnership of Iranian companies in reconstruction projects in his country.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran's aids are never forgotten by the Iraqi people," Rashid said, while visiting an exhibition in Iran's Northeastern province of Khorassan Razavi on Saturday.
The minister underlined the necessity for mutual cooperation with Iran to rebuild his country's ruined infrastructures, and said, "The abundant capacities of Iranian companies and communications sector, and Iraq's need to the restoration and reconstruction of infrastructures have created a proper opportunity for joint ventures."
Iran and Iraq have enjoyed growing ties ever since the overthrow of the former Iraqi dictator, Saddam Hussein, during the 2003 US invasion of the Muslim country.
Late last month, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani in a meeting with Iraqi Transportation Minister Baqir Jabr al-Zubeidi underlined that further development of economic cooperation set a priority for the two Muslim neighboring states.
"Development of economic cooperation is the most important common priority in the relations between Tehran and Baghdad," Shamkhani said during the meeting in Tehran.
He underscored the necessity for the expansion of mutual cooperation in infrastructural fields, road, rail, sea and air transportation and in the reconstruction of the ruins left by the terrorist attacks in Iraq.
Zubeidi, for his part, stressed the new Iraqi government's strategy for widening ties with neighbors, and said, "Given Iran and Iraq's lengthy borders and the two sides' age-old and strong relations, we are interested in Iran's all-out cooperation and partnership in our road-construction and rail transportation projects."