Foreign Minister of Iraq Ibrahim al-Jaafari will pay his first official visit to India from 24-28 of this month. He will be accompanied by a senior-level official delegation.<br/><br/> External Affairs Ministry in a release said that the two sides will discuss the entire gamut of bilateral relations as well as regional and international issues of mutual interest during the upcoming visit. The visit is expected to add further impetus to our mutually beneficial bilateral engagement.<br/><br/>India and Iraq have historically enjoyed close and friendly political, economic and cultural ties. The robust bilateral trade amounted to nearly 13 billion dollars in 2016-17. Iraq contributes significantly to India's energy security and is the second-largest supplier of crude oil to it. Thousands of Indians visit Iraq annually for pilgrimage to the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala.