The United Nations (UN) says Iraq is prepared to resume talks with it.
But the organisation has given no indication whether Saddam Hussein's government is prepared to discuss the return of weapons inspectors.
Mr Amr Mousa, the secretary-general of the Arab League who recently visited Baghdad, told UN Secretary-General Mr Kofi Annan that Iraq would restart talks without any special conditions. Mr Annan says he is prepared to receive a delegation from Iraq.
Iraq has been under UN sanctions since its invasion of Kuwait in 1990. The sanctions cannot be lifted unless UN inspectors verify that Baghdad has dismantled its weapons of mass destruction.
But UN inspectors left Baghdad in December 1998 ahead of US and British airstrikes, and Iraq has barred them from returning.
Mr Annan held talks with Iraqi officials in February last year to try to bridge the impasse, but UN officials said that no real progress was achieved during those talks.
The UN has said that it wants the next round to start mapping a way forward to resume inspections and ultimately lift sanctions.
The Security Council has promised to consider suspending sanctions for renewable 120-day periods if inspectors report that Iraq has co-operated.
Iraq insists it has complied with all the demands of UN inspectors and has demanded that sanctions be lifted completely, indicating that only then would it consider allowing inspectors back into the country.
PA