Pakistan, Iraq agree to make diplomatic travel easier

KARACHI, Pakistan

Pakistan and Iraq on Monday inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU), abolishing visa conditions for diplomatic and official passport holders.

The understanding was reached during a meeting between Iraq's Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein and his Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in the capital Baghdad, said a statement from Pakistan's Foreign Ministry.

Zardari arrived in Baghdad on a three-day maiden visit earlier in the day.

The two countries signed another MoU to enhance bilateral cultural cooperation.

Soon after his arrival, Zardari and Hussein held delegation-level talks to discuss a variety of issues, including bilateral diplomatic relations and cooperation in different sectors, the statement added.

The ministers, it went on to say, agreed to further strengthen bilateral relations in various fields of cooperation.

During his visit, Zardari will perform the groundbreaking of the Pakistan Embassy's new building in Baghdad. He will also visit holy sites, according to the statement.