国际英语新闻：Iran urges for quick formation of Iraqi government

TEHRAN, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- Iranian leaders on Monday urged for the quick formation of the Iraqi government, saying that will serve the interests of the Iraqi people and enable them to enjoy stability, security, unity and prosperity after years of hardship.

During a meeting with the visiting Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Monday morning, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei called on all Iraqi officials to spare no efforts to form a united government as soon as possible.

The swift formation of a united government and the restoration of security in Iraq are the country's two major issues, Khamenei was quoted as saying by the local satellite Press TV.

"Despite the relative stability in Iraq, the country is still suffering from insecurity and part of this insecurity is resulted from some powers whose political interests lie in creating insecurity in Iraq," Khamenei said, implying the Western countries.

He also expressed the hope that the United States will leave Iraq and the problems of the war-torn people will be resolved soon.

The Iraqi prime minister, for his part, described Iraq's relationship with Iran as strategic and amicable, according to Press TV.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, during a meeting with Maliki, said he hoped that a new Iraqi government would be formed soon so as to end the hardship of the Iraqi people and that all Iraqi political parties could collaborate to reconstruct the country.

Iran fully supports an independent, strong and unified Iraq which will serve the Iraqi people and Islamic ideals and the progress of the region, Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying by the official IRNA news agency.

For his part, Maliki said the Iraqi government's first mission is to reconstruct the country and establish healthy and sound relations with its neighboring countries, adding he hoped Iraq could achieve unity, progress and independence through forming a united government.