Iraq and Iran discuss supporting bilateral relations, resolve POW issue

Diplomatic sources said in Baghdad yesterday that Iranian foreign minister will visit Iraq next month at the invitation of the undersecretary of the Iraqi Foreign Ministry, Saad Abd El-Magid El-Faisel, to discuss methods of developing bilateral relations between the two countries and resolving the issues of prisoners of war and missing persons from the war between Iraq and Iran.

Iraq has recently received several visits from Iranian officials including Iranian Deputy Commerce Minister for Foreign Trade, Abdulhussein Wahaji who concluded yesterday an eight-day visit to Baghdad during which which he signed a note to activate economic cooperation between the two countries.

Iran's envoy, ambassador Ali Akbar Haji, the manager of Department of Gulf Countries' Affairs at the Iranian Foreign Ministry, paid a visit to Iraq in which he delivered a written message to Iraqi Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan from his Iranian counterpart, Hassan Habibi, which tackled bilateral relations between the two countries.

Iraq's Abdul Menem Qadi and Iran's Maj. Gen. Abdullah Najafi held talks recently in Baghdad, in which the two sides agreed to make efforts to close the issue of prisoners of war and missing persons files from the two sides by the end of the current year.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Saeed al-Sahaf confirmed yesterday that the second phase will include releasing unregistered Iraqi captives from the Red Cross who were identified through their photos and messages.