Iraq's foreign minister has agreed to meet United Nations secretary-general Mr Kofi Annan next month to resume talks, the UN says.
Mr Annan expects a discussion on the return of weapons inspectors to Iraq, UN spokesman Mr Stephane Dujarric says.
Iraqi foreign minister Mr Naji Sabri and Mr Annan will meet on March 7. If more meetings are needed, they will be held after April 5 following an Arab League summit.
The return of inspectors after three years is a key demand of the US, which has accused Iraq of trying to rebuild its banned weapons programs and of supporting terrorism.
Iraq has been under UN sanctions since it invaded neighbouring Kuwait in 1990. The sanctions cannot be lifted until UN inspectors verify that Baghdad has dismantled its weapons of mass destruction.
"The secretary-general expects to have a focused discussion on the implementation of relevant Security Council resolutions, including the return of UN weapons inspectors to Iraq," Mr Dujarric said.
But UN inspectors left Baghdad in December 1998 before US and British air strikes and Iraq has barred them from returning, calling them "spies".
Mr Amr Moussa, secretary-general of the Arab League, told Mr Annan earlier this month that Iraq would restart talks without any special conditions.
"It should be a very short discussion," US Secretary of State Colin Powell said at the time. "The inspectors have to go back on our terms."
The UN says Mr Moussa did not indicate whether President Saddam Hussein's government is willing to discuss the return of the UN weapons inspectors.
PA