国际英语新闻:Roundup: Iran, Iraq poised to boost cooperation for regional stability

TEHRAN, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Iran and Iraq's top military officials on Wednesday called for enhancement of military cooperation amidst Iraqi Kurdistan's controversial independence referendum.

In a meeting here on Wednesday, the visiting Iraqi army Chief of Staff Lieutenant-General Othman al-Ghanemi and his Iranian counterpart, Mohamed Bagheri, vowed for further cooperation until the restoration of stability in Iraq.

Al-Ghanemi said Iran will remain on the side of Iraq until achieving final victory of restoring stability.

"We believe that the Islamic republic has ever been by the side of Iraq and will do so in future until the restoration of stability in Iraq," al-Ghanemi said, according to Tasnim news agency.

For his part, Bagheri said that "the change of geographical borders of Iraq is not acceptable and we will never recognize it," according to semi-official Fars news agency.

Iran only recognizes Iraq in totality, and considers its common borders only with legal Iraqi government, he said.

"The armed forces of both countries do not recognize any authority in northern Iraq other than the legal Iraqi government," Bagheri emphasized.

The Iranian top military official also said that the operational military groups of both countries will visit the common border regions on Thursday.

The Islamic republic has also informed Iraq to station Iraqi military forces along the common borders with Iran, he pointed out.

Besides, Bagheri hailed the recent victories of Iraqi army in its counterterrorism war, saying "we are very happy to witness that the annihilation of terrorism is imminent in Iraq."

Al-Ghanemi, leading a top military delegation, arrived in Tehran on Wednesday to exchange views with the Iranian officials on enhancing defense cooperation.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said earlier on Wednesday that Iraq's military cooperation with Iran and Turkey is aimed at protecting regional security.

It was also announced Wednesday here that a high-ranking Turkish military delegation headed by Turkey's Chief of the General Staff, Hulusi Akar, is to visit the capital Tehran next week.

The visit comes in response to an August trip by Bagheri, to Ankara, local media reported.

The Turkish delegation in Iran is expected to follow up on agreements signed during Bagheri's visit.

During that trip, the first to Turkey by an Iranian military chief since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Bagheri held meetings with a number of senior Turkish officials, including President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Bagheri and his Turkish counterpart signed agreements to hold joint training courses and increase counterterrorism intelligence sharing.

The trips by the Iraqi and Turkish military officials come against a backdrop of an independence vote in Iraq's Kurdistan region held on Monday, which has met with the strong criticism of Iraq, Iran and Turkey.