June
26, 2007
TEHRAN, Iran, -- Iraqi President Jalal
Talabani arrived in neighbouring Iran for talks with
senior officials, state television reported Tuesday.
Talabani,
who was last in Iran in
November, is expected to meet
President Mahmound Ahmadinejad and to visit ailing
Iraqi Shiite politician Abdel Aziz al-Hakim, who is
in Iran for cancer treatment.
"During Mr Talabani's visit, the issue of continuing
talks with the United States will be discussed,"
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Mehdi Mostafavi was
quoted by state news agency IRNA as telling
reporters earlier.
"Also the issue of abduction of five Iranian
diplomats kidnapped by the American forces will be
discussed," he added.
The United States severed relations with Iran in
1980 after Islamic revolutionary students took over
its embassy in Tehran.
The two countries held their highest-level public
contacts in 27 years on May 28, with Tehran calling
for US troops to be pulled out of Iraq and
Washington accusing Iran of stoking the insurgency. |
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (L) welcomes
Iraqi President Jalal Talabani during a welcoming
ceremony in Tehran June 26, 2007. AP |
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