UN-Arab League envoy in Baghdad for Syria talks

UN-Arab League envoy for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi arrived in Baghdad Monday to hold talks with Iraqi leaders about the Syrian crisis, Xinhua reported citing official television.

Brahimi, who landed at Baghdad airport in the afternoon, was received by Iraq's Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, and is scheduled to meet top Iraqi officials, including Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, the state-run Iraqia channel said.

Brahimi arrived in Baghdad after wrapping up a two-day visit to Cairo.

His visit comes as part of his tour in the Middle East to make preparations for convening an international peace conference on Syria, also known as Geneva-II.

The conference had initially been planned for late May, but was repeatedly postponed over disagreements as to who should have seats at the table.

Iraq's Shia-dominated government has maintained close ties with Syria, whose President Bashar al-Assad is a member of Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shia Islam.