External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj held bilateral talks with her Iraqi counterpart Ibrahim al-Jaafari in New Delhi this afternoon. The two sides discussed the entire gamut of bilateral relations as well as regional and international issues of mutual interest during the visit. <br/><br/>The issue of 39 Indians taken hostage by the Islamic State terror group in Mosul in 2014 is also believed to have come up during the discussions. The Iraqi Foreign Minister will call on Vice President Hamid Ansari later this afternoon. <br/><br/>Mr. Al Jafari arrived in New Delhi late last night on a five day visit to India. He is accompanied by a high-level official delegation. The visit is expected to add further impetus to the mutually beneficial bilateral engagement between India and Iraq.<br/><br/>Both countries have historically enjoyed close and friendly political, economic and cultural ties. 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.