KERMANSHAH Pilgrimage tours to the holy shrines in Iraq will officially start as of August 15, said Deputy Commerce Minister for Foreign Trade Abdolhossein Vahhaji here Tuesday. Making the remark after returning from a week long visit to Iraq, Vahhaji said according to agreements reached, 3,000 Iranian pilgrims will travel to Iraq via the Khosravi border point, in western Iran, every week.

An Iraqi company, Al-Hoda will accomodate the Iranian pilgrims while they are inside the Iraqi territory, he added. The Iranian delegation comprising representatives from the foreign and commerce ministries, Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization, pharmaceutical and medical industries, trade and industrial companies held talks with a number of Iraqi officials. Commenting on his trip Vahhaji said he met with Iraqi Commerce Minister Mohammad Mehdi Saleh and Director General of the Economic Relations Office of the Foreign Ministry Faruq al-Ubaidi.

It was agreed that Iran will export medicine, foodstuff and other items to Iraq while fully observing the UN Security Council Resolution 986. Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi told IRNA on Tuesday that under an agreement reached between Iran and Iraq, 3,000 members of families of martyrs are to pay pilgrimage to the holy shrines in Iraq in August. (IRNA)