Iran said Friday that the country is looking forward to a new era of cooperation with members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Iraq in all fields, especially in security.

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki made the remarks in Doha, Qatar before his departure for home after completing his Gulf tour, reported the Qatar News Agency.

Mottaki was quoted as saying that his tour came in accordance with the country's foreign policies focusing on neighboring states and his talks with Gulf leaders highlighted regional security issues.

He said that Iran was willing to enhance military and security cooperation with Iraq and GCC member states, adding Iran had received a proposal from the Iraqi government for holding a meeting on the level of defense ministers to allow Iraq's neighboring countries a greater participation in instilling stability and security in that country.

As for accusations that Iran was supporting certain sects in Iraq over others, Mottaki said Tehran had repeatedly called for allowing all Iraqi sects and tribes to participate in the political process and in forming the country's new government.

"We support Iraq's sovereignty and unity," he stressed, calling for reinstating Iraq's sovereignty to its people as soon as possible so as to avoid further violence.

Mottaki also noted that Iraq had only two choices before it, to push forth the political process and establish a government, thus allowing the Iraqi people to determine their own fate, or to remain under the current deteriorating security conditions.

The foreign minister also rejected allegations by the British government that Iran had participated in killing British troops in southern Iraq, saying "such accusations were made by foreign troops that did not want to bear the responsibility for their occupation of Iraq."

On Iran's nuclear issue, Mottaki reiterated Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's stance voiced in his address to the UN General Assembly that Iran, whose nuclear technologies were for peaceful uses only, opposes production of nuclear weapons and is transparent regarding this issue.

It is Mottaki's first visit to the Gulf region since assuming his post in August. The tour has brought him to five of the GCC member states including Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

He put off a scheduled visit to Saudi Arabia, also a GCC member, due to what he called a shortage of time.

Mottaki said his tour was aimed at promoting security and stability in the region.

Source: Xinhua