Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki pardoned all 33 imprisoned Egyptian nationals in Iraq on Tuesday, following a meeting with Egyptian Prime Minister Hesham Qandil in Baghdad.
The Egyptian delegation had requested some prisoners be released during talks, but did not ask for a blanket pardon.
Qandil left Cairo on a private plane monday for a two-day visit, accompanied by six ministers and about 60 Egyptian businessmen, sources at Cairo International Airport told Turkish News Agency Anadolu.
This is the first visit of a high-ranking Egyptian official to Iraq since the election of Mohamed Morsy as president in June of last year.
Egyptian Petroleum Minister Osama Kamal told the press this week that Egypt would offer Iraq help refining its oil in Egyptian refineries.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
