Tehran: Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has met Faiq Zaidan, president of Iraq's Supreme Judicial Council, in Baghdad as part of his ongoing visit to the country. According to Islamic Republic News Agency, Ghalibaf met Zaidan on Thursday to discuss ways to expand judicial and legal cooperation between the two neighboring countries and to follow up on agreements and memoranda signed between the two sides. He began his trip on Wednesday and held separate meetings with Iraq's parliament speaker, prime minister, and president. In meetings with Iraqi leaders, Ghalibaf highlighted the opportunities in bilateral relations and said Iran and Iraq play an important regional role among Islamic and Arab countries. He blamed the United States for recent conflicts and instability in the region, including disruptions in Persian Gulf energy routes. Ghalibaf said the recent 40-day war showed that the US does not provide security for regional countries and instead undermines their stability. Stressing th at Islamic and Persian Gulf states can achieve stability through unity and without foreign interference, he noted the role of Iran and Iraq in this regard.