Iraqi President Saddam Hussein met Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi and Iran said that the two neighbours had reached agreement on several issues.
In Tehran, Iran's official news agency IRNA ON Saturday said that the two neighbours agreed on the resumption of Iranian visits to holy Shi'ite Muslim shrines in Iraq. Kharrazi was on a rare visit to Iraq to patch up differences outstanding from the two countries' 1980-88 war.
Iraq's INA news agency earlier said that Saddam ''stressed to him (Kharrazi) that Iraq's will and desire to solve all remaining issues between the two countries.'' Saddam also urged the Iranian side to ''have the will and the desire to normalise and improve relations.”
INA said that Kharrazi conveyed greetings to Saddam from Iranian President Mohammad Khatami. Iran's IRNA said that Kharrazi and Iraqi Foreign Minister Saeed Al-Sahaf reached agreements on certain outstanding issues after a long meeting on Saturday evening.
It said that the two officials also agreed to reactivate five joint committees set up under a 1997 accord to resolve difference on issues including border demarcation, prisoners of war, trade and security questions. IRNA said that the pilgrims' visits, stopped in July over financial differences, would be resumed soon.
The two ministers also announced the desire and the political will of the two countries to resolve other problems,'' it added.

Bureau Report