On December 24th Speaker of Azerbaijan Milli Majlis Ogtay Asadov met Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari. Asadov said friendly and fraternal relations between Azerbaijan and Iraq had historic roots. “I am sure that your visit will give impetus to development of relationship.” Asadov underlined the role of legislative bodies in expansion of cooperation among states and peoples. The Speaker noted a working group on Azerbaijan-Iraq interparliamentary ties was operating in Milli Majlis, adding “the Azerbaijani Parliament supports comprehensive development of relations between the two countries.” Asadov pointed out Azerbaijani businessmen were ready to contribute to reviving the Iraqi economy. On the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the Speaker thanked official Bagdad for supporting Azerbaijan`s territorial integrity. Asadov also thanked the Iraqi government for the support it gave when Azerbaijan was elected as non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. The Speaker said the opening of Azerbaijani embassy in Iraq next year would be an important step towards deepening bilateral relationship. Zebari, in turn, said his country was interested in development of relations with friendly and fraternal Azerbaijan. The Minister noted the purpose of his visit to Azerbaijan was to exchange views on how to boost cooperation in various spheres. Zebari noted Iraq also needs Azerbaijan`s experience in democracy. The sides also discussed other issues, including opportunities of making mutual investments and organizing reciprocal visits. AzerTAc