TEHRAN: Iranian President Mohamed Khatami yesterday hailed a “turning point” in relations with Baghdad as Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari made a historic visit to Tehran aimed at strengthening ties after decades of enmity.

Following talks with the first Iraqi head of government to visit Iran since the fall of Saddam Hussain, Khatami said that Iran was prepared to do anything it could to help its one-time foe, with whom it fought a devastating eight-year war from 1980-1988.

“The visit of the Iraqi prime minister to Iran is a turning point in the historic relations between the two countries. It will allow us to plaster the wounds and repair the damage caused by Saddam Hussain through joint co-operation,” said Khatami, quoted by the official Irna agency.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran will do everything it can to assure the reconstruction, security and stability of Iraq,” said Khatami.

“The strategy of Iran is to support a free Iraq, independent and developed.”

Jaafari is heading a large delegation on the visit and is expected to sign a number of deals aimed at aiding his country to meet its growing energy needs.

Among them is an agreement for Iran to share intelligence with Iraq in a bid to re-establish security in the war-torn country, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said.

“One of the sub-commissions we formed is on security co-operation between two sides. Its aim is really to establish a mechanism for intelligence sharing, to prevent infiltrations and to assist us in stabilising the situation,” Zebari said.

The Iraqi foreign minister added: “We found the Iranians to be co-operative and willing to participate in this commission,” adding security was discussed “at length” and was a “top priority” for Iraq.

Baghdad has sought reassurances from Tehran that it will bolster border security to halt any infiltration of foreign fighters crossing to aid the insurgency.

In return, Zebari said: “We have reassured them that we are going to prevent any infiltration or any activity emanating from Iraqi territory against their interest.”

One of Iran’s key complaints has been that several thousand members of the People’s Mujahideen armed opposition group remain in a camp in Iraq under the supervision of US troops.

“The Iraqi government policy is that it will definitely not allow any armed militia group or any armed foreign militia group to operate from Iraqi territory against any neighbouring country,” Zebari said, adding that the group has been “disarmed”.

Irna quoted Jaafari as saying after the talks: “Putting security and stability in place in Iraq will benefit all the countries in the region.”

Jaafari, who took refuge in Iran during the rule of Saddam Hussain, visited the tomb of Iran’s revolutionary leader Ayatollah Khomeini yesterday, and paid homage by laying a wreath of flowers.

Iranian newspapers hailed a new era in relations between the two countries.

“End of the era of conflict,” headlined the government daily Iran. “Friend and no longer enemy,” added Etemad while Siassat-e Rouz described Iran as the “best friend of the Iraqis”.

Jaafari, who is scheduled to leave today, is expected to hold further talks with president-elect Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi. - AFP