Baghdad, Feb 23 : Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani met with visiting Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni on bilateral ties and topics of mutual interest.

Al-Sudani and Momeni on Saturday discussed "border security in light of the signed agreements, cooperation in combating drug smuggling and border control, and coordination on border crossing operations to enhance security and stability," Xinhua news agency reported quoting a statement on Facebook by al-Sudani's media office.

The two also discussed "measures to facilitate the entry of Iranian pilgrims to the holy shrines in Iraq," and the activation of the memorandum of understanding between the two interior ministries "regarding the mutual recognition of driver's licenses between the two countries," read the statement.

Iraqi Interior Minister Abdul Amir al-Shammari met with Momeni, during which the two sides agreed on the mutual recognition of driver's licenses, which would allow residents of both countries to use their translated licenses officially, according to a statement issued by the Iraqi Interior Ministry on Facebook.

Earlier in the day, Al-Sudani said that Iraq is committed to dialogue in addressing local, regional, and international challenges.

He said at the opening ceremony of the 7th Baghdad International Dialogue Conference that "the door remains open for direct national dialogue to resolve various issues and challenges," read a statement by al-Sudani's media office posted on Facebook.

"Iraq's foreign policy adheres to a strong balance, refraining from alignment with any particular axis while engaging with all efforts aimed at preventing the spread of conflicts," al-Sudani said.

"At the same time, Iraq maintains its principled positions on key global issues, foremost among them the Palestinian cause," he said, noting "a long history of attempts to obscure the Palestinians' right to lift, land, and existence" and a "bloody" one "of displacement and identity erasure."

According to the statement, the two-day event is organised by the Iraqi Institute for Dialogue and has attracted many researchers and stakeholders from Iraq and abroad.

/IANS