Iranian Delegation in Iraq for Talks on POWs, MIAs

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, January 09, 2002

Iranian Delegation in Iraq for Talks on POWs, MIAs

An Iranian delegation arrived in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad on Tuesday for talks on issues of prisoners of war (POWs) and the missing in action (MIAs).

An Iranian delegation arrived in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad on Tuesday for talks on issues of prisoners of war (POWs) and the missing in action (MIAs).

The Iranian delegation was headed by Amir Hussein Zamani, consultant for Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi, the official Iraqi News Agency (INA) reported.

During the visit, the two sides will review what has been achieved since the seventh session October 24 of the Iraq-Iran joint committee on MIAs and POWs, and explore ways of settling "the humanitarian issue of great importance for both countries," INA said.

Iraq and Iran have shown enthusiasm for solving the thorny issues of POWs and MIAs. Late last month, the two sides exchanged some 150 remains of soldiers killed in the 1980-88 war, and on November 14, the two sides swapped the remains of 18 Iraqis and 78 Iranians.

Some 1 million people were killed in the eight-year war, with thousands of combatants listed as POWs and MIAs. More than 13 years after their ceasefire, the two neighbors have neither signed a peace treaty nor normalized their relations.

Nonetheless, bilateral relations are improving. Iraqi official media have reported that Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri Ahmed will visit Tehran later this month "to establish good-neighborly relations" between the two former foes.

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