Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has postponed his first official visit to Iran because it coincided with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's planned trip to the American continent, the official IRNA news agency reported Sunday.

Maliki was supposed to go to Iran Monday for a two-day visit and now his visit would take place after Ahmadinejad completes his tour, IRNA said.

"Due to ceremonial arrangements to welcome Prime Minister Maliki and the Latin American tour of President Ahmadinejad, Maliki's visit will be rescheduled," a Baghdad-based Iranian official was quoted as saying.

Ahmadinejad would depart this week for New York to take part in the United Nations General Assembly and would continue his tour to several Latin American states after the conference, IRNA said.

The Iraqi Embassy in Tehran was quoted as saying that Maliki's visit to Iran would take place after Ahmadinejad's return from his Latin American tour.

Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabagh said in a statement on Saturday that Maliki would travel to Iran on Monday for his first official visit to Iran since his unity government took office in May.

The prime minister's visit would focus on security and bilateral relations, the statement said.

Maliki's deputy Barham Salih visited Tehran a week ago, reportedly preparing for Maliki's trip.

In July 2005, former Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari made a landmark visit to Iran, the first by an Iraqi premier since the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

Iraq and Shiite-dominated Iran fought a bloody war in the 1980swhen Saddam Hussein was in power.

The two neighboring countries have enjoyed improving political and economic ties since Iraq's Shiite majority got the upper hand in post-war Iraq.

(Xinhua News Agency September 11, 2006)