Iraqi PM to visit Iran on Saturday

IranMania:

Iraqi Shiite Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari is to travel to Iran on Saturday, making him the first Iraqi premier to visit the country since the toppling of Saddam Hussein, an embassy official said.

"The three-day visit ... will mostly evolve around bilateral ties during which (Jaafari) will have discussions with the Islamic republic's high-ranking officials," the source said. READ MORE

He added that seven ministers are already in Iran, and that more will accompany Jaafari. He did not elaborate.

A week ago, Iraqi Defense Minister Saadun al-Dulaimi called in a visit for reconciliation between the two neighbors and former arch-foes and pledged not to allow Iraqi soil to be used for attacks against Iran.

During the visit the formation was announced of joint committees for military cooperation, the fight against terrorism, clearing minefields and investigating the cases of soldiers missing from the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war.

The two ministers, however, agreed that more sensitive issues such as a peace treaty and war reparations were far from being resolved. The United Nations resolution that ended the war did not provide for reparations.

Tehran and Baghdad resumed diplomatic relations in September 2004. Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi paid a historic visit to Iraq in May this year, the first since the fall of Saddam's regime in April 2003.