TEHRAN, 22 November 2005 — Iraqi President Jalal Talabani began a landmark visit to Iran yesterday, the first by an Iraqi head of state in nearly four decades, in a clear effort to win more help in battling the insurgency raging in his country.
Iranian officials said Talabani was to spend three days in the Islamic republic for a series of high-level talks centered on security issues. Iranian media said his delegation includes Iraqi national security adviser Muwaffaq Rubaie.
Ties between Iran and Iraq’s new authorities have been relatively close, with Baghdad’s new government dominated by Kurdish figures like Talabani and Shiites once backed by Tehran during Saddam’s rule.
But relations remain clouded by allegations of Iranian support for insurgents fighting US and British troops in Iraq. Iran denies meddling, and blames the violence on the very presence of foreign forces.
Talabani is scheduled to meet President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, top national security official Ali Larijani and Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki. Iranian media said he is also expected to meet supreme leader Ali Khamenei. The last Iraqi head of state to tour Iran was Abdel Rahman Aref, Iraq’s president between 1966 and 1968. Talabani’s visit comes hot on the heels of a trip to Tehran by the Iraqi national security adviser last week, which ended with the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Larijani.
