External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid today arrived here on a two-day visit to Iraq aimed at reviving India's historic ties with the "strategically important" oil-rich Arab country.
Khurshid, the first Indian foreign minister to visit Iraq since 1990, was received by his Iraqi counterpart Hoshiyar Zebari at the Baghdad International Airport. This is the first high-level Indian visit since 2003.
"We had very good relations with Iraq. There is no reason why that very good relationship should not continue in deep, should not be strengthen and why cannot we be very close partner once again," Khurshid told reporters accompanying him to Baghdad.
Noting that the two countries share "very valuable and rich history", the minister said, "Our relationship today in terms of energy security, we have very important partnership, Therefore, we need to give it attention."
"Iraq today is strategically important to us," he said, referring to country's huge energy reservoirs.
He said India wants to be a partner in "re-construction and refurbishing" the war-battered country.
"They have been through difficult times but are now stabilising. The democracy has come a long way. We would like to be a participant in their growth story," Khurshid said.
"I have come here and I hope that the two-way traffic between Iraq and India at highest level will continue," he said and hoped that his visit would elevate the bilateral ties to a higher level for the mutual benefit of the people of India and Iraq.
When asked on the fragile security situation in Iraq, Khurshid said, "The fact that I've come here shows I am not worried. I think it is important."
"I think all the stakeholders in in West Asia will contribute to stabilising the region," he said.
