Iran's top national security official Ali Larijani is to visit Baghdad for talks on this week's international conference on Iraqi security, the foreign ministry spokesman said on Sunday.
"The visit of Mr Larijani is in the framework of bilateral relations. He will probably talk about security questions and the international conference" to be held in Egypt's resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, Mohammad Ali Hosseini said.
Hosseini said the timing of the visit would be clarified "either on Sunday or on Monday" without giving further details. State television said Larijani would be leaving for Iraq on Sunday.
Iran has so far not announced whether it will attend the May 3-4 conference and Iraqi officials have been seeking to persuade Tehran to take part.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari held talks last week with his Iranian counterpart Manouchehr Mottaki, and Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister Barham Saleh was expected for more discussions in Tehran later on Sunday.
"Taking into account the moves of the Iraqi officials, the Iranian officials are following this question positively and our position will be announced today or tomorrow," said Hosseini.
Iranian officials had expressed dissatisfaction about attending a conference where world powers, including its arch foe the United States, will be represented as well as the choice of the Red Sea resort as the venue.
Iran would prefer the meeting to comprise only foreign ministers from Iraq's neighbouring countries.
Tehran's attendance also appears to be complicated by the continued detention by Washington in Iraq of five Iranian officials it arrested in January on accusations of seeking to stir trouble there.
Copyright © 2007 Agence France Presse.
