Qatari Emir Sheik Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, third from left, reviews honor guards, with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, left in Tehran, Iran, Monday 20 December 2010. (AP)
Iran and Qatar on Monday pledged to cooperate for greater regional security during a visit to Tehran by the emir of Qatar, state media reported.
"By consultation and harmony Iran and Qatar can strengthen unity among regional countries and implement security and stability," Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying in a meeting with Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani.
Ahmadinejad also described ties between Tehran and Doha as "brotherly and excellent," state television reported.
"Cooperation between Iran and Qatar can guarantee security and stability in the region," the emir was quoted as saying.
It was the first visit by an Arab leader to the Islamic republic since US diplomatic memos from Arab countries in the Gulf were released by whistleblower WikiLeaks late last month, uncovering a fixation on the Iranian nuclear threat.
According to a leaked memo Saudi King Abdullah had repeatedly pressed the United States to attack Iran to halt its nuclear programme, saying the US should "cut off the head of the snake."
But another leaked memo revealed that Sheikh Hamad had dismissed the threats of proliferation, saying they were made only to scare Iran.
Iran insists its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful, but world powers suspect Tehran is working toward an atom bomb.
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