Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi announced, in a meeting with Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, that neighborly cooperation free from foreign interference is a prerequisite for regional stability and security.

In a presidential statement, Raisi confirmed that Iran has always attached importance to the settlement of problems in Iraq and that Tehran considers Baghdad’s development and advancement as crucial as that of Iran's.

According to the statement, Hussein presented Raisi with an invitation from Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi for the summit of Iraq’s neighboring countries, scheduled for the end of August in Baghdad.

On his end, the Iraqi foreign minister said that the upcoming conference would back the political process and economic development in his country.

Hussein added that durable security in the region cannot be attained without the presence of Iran and Iraq, adding that Baghdad's regional summit would lay the groundwork for endorsing regional dialog in order to reach a collective understanding.

Earlier, Hussein met Iran’s security chief on issues of bilateral and regional significance.

During the talks, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani stressed the importance of full and prompt implementation of agreements previously signed between Iran and Iraq, adding it would be a crucial step to increase the level of comprehensive cooperation and welfare of the two countries.

Baghdad has recently invited a number of world leaders to attend the summit, including Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and French President Emmanuel Macron.