Iraqi FM to visit India

India is likely to seek from Baghdad the latest information on the fate of 39 Indians missing in Iraq for the last three years when Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari pays his first official visit to India from 24 July.
These Indians, mostly from Punjab, were abducted by ISIS militants in June 2014 when they were leaving the strife-torn Iraqi city. The Iraqi authorities had recently claimed that they had retaken the city from ISIS, raising hopes in New Delhi that the missing Indians might now return home safely.
Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh had last week visited Iraq to get first-hand information about the fate of the missing Indians. However, he achieved very little during the visit.
Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had last Sunday met the families of the missing Indians and told them that the fighting was still going on in West Mosul and the Indian authorities had been informed that the Indians could be in a prison in Badush.
During the Iraqi minister’s visit, the two sides would discuss the entire gamut of bilateral relations as well as regional and international issues of mutual interest. ‘’The visit is expected to add further impetus to our mutually beneficial bilateral engagement,’’ the External Affairs Ministry said.