Iraqi president starts landmark Iran visit

Iranian officials said Talabani was to spend three days in the Islamic republic for a series of high-level talks centred on security issues. Iranian media said his delegation includes Iraqi national security adviser Muwaffaq Rubaie.

Ties between Iran and Iraq's new authorities have been relatively close, with Baghdad's new government dominated by Kurdish figures like Talabani and Shias once backed by Tehran during Saddam's rule.

But relations remain clouded by allegations of Iranian support for insurgents fighting US and British troops in Iraq. Iran denies meddling, and blames the violence on the very presence of foreign forces.

Talabani is scheduled to meet hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, top national security official Ali Larijani and Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki. Iranian media said he is also expected to meet supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The last Iraqi head of state to tour Iran was Abdel Rahman Aref, Iraq's president between 1966 and 1968.

The two neighbours fought a devastating war from 1980-88, after former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein attempted a land grab in the wake of Iran's Islamic revolution.

Talabani's visit comes hot on the heels of a trip to Tehran by the Iraqi national security adviser last week, which ended with the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Larijani.

The agreement covers cooperation in the fight against terrorism and the facilitation of visits to Iraq by Iranian pilgrims.

During his visit, Rubaie said he asked the Iranians to use their influence with Damascus to secure Syria's cooperation in sealing off the Iraqi border to insurgents.

Earlier Iraqi President Jalal Talabani on Sunday extended a hand to insurgents during reconciliation talks between the war-torn country's factions, even as violence continued to rage at home.

"If those who call themselves the Iraqi resistance want to contact me, I will welcome them," Talabani, a Kurd, told reporters on the second day of the Arab League-sponsored meetings in Cairo.

During the opening session on Saturday, Talabani had excluded Jihadis and criminals from the entourage of ousted dictator Saddam Hussein from talks.

"To those who took up arms to end the occupation, we say that the solution will not come through weapons but through political dialogue and democratic means," he said Sunday.