Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said on Sunday that his country welcomes the approval of a series of new Iraqi leaders by Iraqi parliament, the official IRNA news agency reported.

"We congratulate them on the great and constructive event which took place in Iraq and extend best wishes for the Iraqi people," Mottaki was quoted as saying in a statement.

Iraq has made important achievements with recent developments and Iran welcomes the election of new leaders there, considering it as a milestone in Iraqi history, said the minister.

Furthermore, he stressed that despite all the internal and external pressures and the sensitive conditions in Iraq, the elected assemblymen and all the parties who won in recent elections have succeeded in taking constructive steps toward political development and progress through national consensus and vigilance.

Mottaki also expressed pleasure with the new leaders and wished they could lead Iraq toward political and economic development and establishment of security and stability so as to pave the way for a rapid withdrawal of foreign troops.

The Iranian minister said Iran would extend great aids and assistance to the Iraqi nation and government in all needed areas and would call for international support for that country.

Iraqi parliament approved the nomination of Shiite politician Jawad al-Maliki as the new premier to head a coalition government on Saturday, breaking a four-month long political deadlock.

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani formally asked Maliki to form the first full-term post-Saddam Hussein government within 30 days.

Source: Xinhua