Rouhani’s Upcoming Trip to Iraq Heralds Resolution of Key Disputes

President Hassan Rouhani’s decision to pay his first official visit to Iraq could indicate the resolution of key disputes between the two neighboring countries, a senior journalist and political analyst said. 
In a recent article, Ali Mousavi Khalkhali, editor-in-chief of the Iranian Diplomacy website, highlighted the major bones of contention that include an old border row and said Rouhani’s trip, which will reportedly take place on March 11, could mark progress in resolving those issues. 
The Algiers agreement defining the Iran-Iraq border has been a source of tension since it was signed by Iraq’s then-vice president, Saddam Hussein, and the shah of Iran in the Algerian capital in 1975.