Talks between Iran, Iraq under way

TEHRAN, Feb. 27 (UPI) -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Iraqi President Jalal Talabani began diplomatic talks Friday in Tehran.

The Fars News Agency reported Talabani is being accompanied on his three-day visit to Iran by other top Iraqi government officials including officials from the commerce, power and housing ministry.

Meanwhile, the Iranian half of the diplomatic talks will include Ahmadinejad, Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, Energy Minister Parviz Fattah, Minister of Housing and Urban Development Mohammad Saeedikia and Minister of Industries and Mines Ali-Akbar Mehrabian.

Mottaki was on hand Thursday to greet Talabani and his fellow diplomats as they arrived in Iran, the Fars News Agency said.

The news agency said in addition to talks with the Iranian diplomatic group, Talabani is expected to meet with officials like Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani and Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi while in Iran.