Kamal Kharrazi

Iraq has welcomed Iran's foreign minister to Baghdad, as the two former warring nations continue to improve relations.

Kamal Kharrazi is the highest-ranking Iranian official to visit Iraq since the fall of Saddam Hussein more than two years ago.

Mr. Kharrazi is due to hold talks with Iraq's Shi'ite prime minister, Ibrahim al-Jaafari. He also will meet with his Iraqi counterpart, Hoshyar Zebari. Iraq's new prime minister and several members of his Shi'ite-dominated government have close ties with the Islamic regime in mainly Shi'ite Iran.

Under Saddam Hussein, Iraq fought a devastating eight-year war with Iran, and more than a million people were killed.

Some information for this report provided by AP and AFP.