A high-ranking Iranian national security official says Iran is 'fully' prepared to cooperate with and transfer skills to neighboring Iraq in various fields.

In a meeting with the visiting former Iraqi premier Ibrahim al-Jafari on Monday, Saeed Jalili, the Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council also described close ties between the people and the state as the best guarantor of 'state security'.

“The greatest factor for the strengthening of national security is the close relationship and empathy of the people with the establishment and the state,” he said, according to a press release from the Supreme National Security Council.

Jalili, who is also Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, cited the “trust and close relationship between the people and the system” as the main source of Iran's security in the past 30 years, and stressed on the need to “develop this further,” according to the press release.

He expressed satisfaction with the positive developments in the current Iran - Iraq relationships and recalled the historically close and fraternal ties between the two nations.

In turn, al-Jafari said: “The intelligent leadership and the unity and empathy of the Iranian nation have made this country into a model of success throughout the world.”

The former Iraqi prime minister also pointed to the depth of historically friendly relations between the two nations and requested the transfer of Iran's experiences to Iraq in all fields, especially in the field of security.

ZAP/ MB