Baghdad: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, is scheduled to visit Iraq next week.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the Ministry stated that Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fuad Hussein, received a phone call on Wednesday from Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mohammad Ishaq Dar.

The call reviewed the growing bilateral relations between the two countries and discussed the upcoming visit of President Zardari to Iraq next week, in response to an official invitation extended by the President of the Republic of Iraq, Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid.

The two sides also discussed the visit's program, during which the Pakistani foreign minister expressed his appreciation to the Iraqi government for preparing a comprehensive agenda, including meetings with senior Iraqi officials, as well as visits to holy shrines in several Iraqi cities.

The call further addressed the 52nd session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), scheduled to be held in Iraq in April next year.

At the conclusion of the call, Mohammad Ishaq Dar extended an official invitation to Fuad Hussein to visit Pakistan at the beginning of next year.