AFP:

Saudi King Salman welcomed Iraq's new President Barham Saleh Sunday on his first official visit to the kingdom, amid a warming of ties between the Arab neighbors after years of strain.

The king hosted a lunch and "discussed regional developments" with Saleh, the official Saudi Press Agency said, after the Iraqi leader's arrival in Riyadh following a visit to Saudi Arabia's arch-rival Iran.

Saleh, a 58-year-old moderate Kurd elected to the largely ceremonial role last month, was on an overnight visit at the invitation of the Saudi monarch, an Iraqi official said.

Separately, Iraq's Foreign Minister Mohammed Ali al-Hakim, who is part of Saleh's delegation, held talks in Riyadh with his Saudi counterpart Adel al-Jubeir, officials said.

Ties between Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia and Shiite-majority Iraq have been looking up in recent months, after years of tense relations.

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