TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Sunday tried to allay Iranian fears over a planned U.S.-Iraq security pact, saying his government would not allow Iraq to become a launching pad for an attack on its neighbor. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, left, greets Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Sunday. "Iraq today doesn't present any threat as it used to be in the times of the former regime," al-Maliki told Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during a Sunday meeting between two leaders, according to a statement from the prime minister's office. "Today's Iraq is a constitutional state based on the rule of law, and it seeks to develop its relations with the regional countries based on cooperation and mutual respect," al-Maliki said.
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Iraq's prime minister in Iran trying to calm fears over any U.S.-Iraq security pact
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Nuri al-Maliki visiting Tehran, where he is meeting with top officials
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Al-Maliki says Iraq will not be used as a launching pad for U.S. attacks on Iran
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His remarks come as the United States and @placeholder are trying to reach a bilateral agreement on how long the U.S. military will remain in Iraq and what role it will play in Iraq's security.
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"We will not discuss the progress or the key elements of agreements or disagreements with them because this is an @placeholder issue."
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The proposed U.S.-Iraqi pact has triggered street protests in @placeholder, where many suspect the deal could lead to the establishment of permanent American bases, a long-term presence of U.S. troops and a weakening of Iraqi government control over those troops.
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@placeholder has long called for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, which the United States invaded in 2003.
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"In the long run, it is in the interest of the United States to have a secure @placeholder and armed forces and security forces of Iraq with undivided loyalty and allegiance to the state and not influenced by sectarian affiliations or party loyalties," he said.