BBC News Online: World: Middle East

Iran FM visits Baghdad

The Iranian Foreign Minister, Kamal Kharazi, is in Iraq -- the first such visit for more than a decade.

Mr Kharazi flew to Baghdad despite the United Nations air embargo on flights to Iraq.

Both sides have said they want to resolve all their outstanding differences following the end of their eight-year war in 1988.

One of the issues to be discussed with his Iraqi counterpart, Mohammad Said al-Sahhaf, is Iraq's request to open an air corridor through Iranian air space so that Russia can resume direct flights to and from Moscow. In return Iran would be allowed to operate direct flight to Damascus through Iraqi air space.

A full resumption of ties between Iran and Iraq has been held up by a number of issues, including an exchange of prisoners-of-war and the presence of opposition groups in each other's countries.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service