Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al- Jaafari will pay an official visit to Iran on July 12, the official IRNA news agency reported on Tuesday.

IRNA quoted an informed source as saying that prior to Jaafari's visit, ten Iraqi ministers will arrive in Tehran on July 10 to explore bilateral cooperation in different fields and make preparations for the Prime Minister's visit.

The visit of Jaafari is of high importance and can open a new chapter in Tehran-Baghdad cooperation, the source said.

The United States has accused Tehran of interfering in Iraq's internal affairs using its influence on the Iraq's Shiites since the downfall of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, a charge categorically denied by Iran.

The two neighbors fought a disastrous war from 1980 to 1988, during which more than 500,000 people were killed.

Source: Xinhua