Iranian ambassador, Iraj Masjedi said in a televised interview with Al Iraqiya that Iran supports the government of new Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi as it is formed based on the will of people and confirmation of Parliament.

Iran is ready to cooperate with Iraq in all fields and expand and strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries, he added.

The common interests of the two countries are important to Iran, Masjedi stressed, expressing hope that the two countries would increase their cooperation during Al-Kadhimi’s tenure.

Iranian ambassador noted that the new Iraqi government’s approach to Iran is positive, and Iran is eager to expand cooperation with Iraq as well.

Masjedi expressed hope that economic relations between the two countries, especially in the electricity sector, would be strengthened in the light of the Iranian Minister of Energy’s visit to Baghdad and the signing of an agreement in this regard.

Iran supports any domestic production in Iraq and is even willing to invest in this filed, he added.

Referring to the recent visit of Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Quds Force Commander Brigadier General Esmail Ghaani to Iraq, Masjedi said that the US-Iraq dialogue is an internal matter, and the recent visit of General Ghaani to Iraq has nothing to do with this issue.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran respects the law and the political system and government of Iraq, and we support anyone who is elected prime minister in the legal process, and through the voting of confidence by the Iraqi parliament,” Masjedi wrote in a tweet on Saturday.

In a decree on Thursday, Iraqi President Barham Salih nominated Mustafa al-Kadhimi as the new PM-designate of the country, after former Iraqi Prime Minister-designate Adnan al-Zurfi announced his withdrawal from the role of forming a new government earlier in the day.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry has welcomed the nomination of al-Kakhimi, calling the move a step in the right direction.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Abbas Mousavi said Thursday, “The Islamic Republic has always backed Iraq’s independence, national sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political stability,” adding that Tehran considers the formation of consensus among all of its political movements through democratic pathways to be the only peaceful solution for all differences.

He also expressed Tehran’s readiness to cooperate with Baghdad in its efforts to put standing problems behind it and provide it’s public and religious authorities demands.

The efforts to establish a new government follow the resignation of former Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi, who stepped down in November.

Al-Zurfi heads the Nasr parliamentary grouping of former Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi. He has also served as the Najaf governor.

Reports indicate that Salih has held a meeting with al-Zurfi and Parliament Speaker Mohamed al-Halbousi today in Baghdad.

His appointment on Tuesday came more than two weeks after former Prime Minister-designate Mohammed Allawi withdrew his candidacy for the post, accusing political parties of obstructing him.