Iran-Iraq-Pilgrims
Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Mohammad Hossein Saffar-Harandi on Tuesday called on Iraqi officials to provide further facilities to Iranian pilgrims visiting the country.

In a meeting with Iraq's Acting Culture Minister Jaber Al-Jaberi, he noted that while the Iraqi government has made contributions in the field, the increasing number of Iranian pilgrims to the holy shrines in Iraq calls for more facilities.

Saffar-Harandi also urged the Iraqi government to expedite the project to reconstruct Al-Askari shrine in the country.

Stating that cultural and sentimental communications between the two countries should pave the ground for further expansion of cooperation, he also said that cultural interests can facilitate communications in all fields.

Emphasizing the need for vigilance of the two nations against plots by the enemies to sow seeds of discord among Muslims, the minister said that the foes are now out to create disunity between Sunnis and Shiites.

He expressed his ministry's readiness to pass on its cultural and artistic experiences to the Iraqi Culture Ministry.

Al-Jaberi, for his part, expressed pleasure over his visit to Iran and stressed the need to expand cooperation between the two states.

Describing President Ahmadinejad's visit to Iraq as a turning point in the history of the two countries' ties, he also said that his trip and meeting with Iraqi intellectuals was an initiative which will remain in the memories of the Iraqis.

Referring to holding Iraq's cultural week in Iran, he also said that such programs aim to help introduce cultural potentials and materialize them.

The Iraqi official, who is accompanied by a delegation of artists, is in Tehran to organize Iranian cultural week in that country.