CAIRO, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit's visit to Iraq is meant to highlight Egypt's interest in the country, Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hossam Zaki said on Sunday.

    During the one-day visit that is the first by an Egyptian foreign minister since 1990, Abul Gheit will hold talks with the Iraqi leadership on bilateral ties, Zaki said in a statement.

    The two sides will also discuss the latest developments in the Middle East and the Gulf region, he added.

    According to earlier reports of the official Iraqi television, Abul Gheit and Egyptian Petroleum Minister Sameh Fahmi arrived in Baghdad on an unannounced visit on Sunday.

    The landmark visit is a sign that Arab nations are trying to restore normal ties with Iraq after over five years of the U.S.-led invasion in 2003.

    After a blast at the Jordanian embassy in Iraq in August 2003 that killed at least 17 people, many Arab diplomats chose to stay away from Baghdad.

    In July 2005, top Egyptian diplomat Ihab al-Sherif was kidnapped and killed by suspected al-Qaida militants in an attempt to prevent Arab and Islamic countries from holding diplomatic tieswith the U.S.-backed Iraqi government.

    Egypt has promised earlier to send a team to assess security situation in Iraq as a preliminary step towards sending back its ambassador to Baghdad.