Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei welcomed the expansion of ties with Bosnia-Herzegovina and said Iran was willing to share its valuable experiences in reconstructing the country with Bosnia-Herzegovina.
He made the remarks here on Wednesday during a meeting with the chairman of the Presidential Council of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Sulejman Tihic, and the Bosnian delegation accompanying him. President Mohammad Khatami also attended the meeting.
Ayatollah Khamenei mentioned the friendly and brotherly feelings between the two nations and said that he was glad that the destructive war in Bosnia was over.
He went on to say that he was very happy that followers of different religions were again living together peacefully in Bosnia, thus helping the country achieve prosperity and progress through the establishment of peace and stability.
The Leader stated that the actions of U.S. soldiers, specifically their brutal torture of Iraqi prisoners, proved that the interventionist powers have expansionist motives.
Ayatollah Khamenei said that no nation should view its interests as being tied to those of the major powers because the world's hegemonic powers do not care about the interests of other nations.
Tihic expressed his gratitude to the Iranian nation and government for the assistance they rendered to his country during the war years in Bosnia and said he was deeply affected by the progress Iran has made, adding that the international image of Iran was totally different from the reality of the situation.
He also expressed his satisfaction about the good relations between the two countries and said he expected bilateral economic relations to improve.
Tihic added that Iran plays an important role in maintaining stability in the sensitive Middle East region.
In conclusion, he said that the international community, the Organization of the Islamic Conference, and the Arab League, under the supervision of the United Nations, should cooperate in their efforts to resolve the crisis in Iraq.