BAGHDAD (IRNA) -- Prime Minister of Iraq Nouri al-Maliki pledged Monday that a group of kidnapped Iranian nationals who were kept in Iraq would be released before the beginning of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which falls this year on September 13-October 12.

Al-Maliki made the remarks in a meeting with the visiting Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister, Mohammadreza Baqeri, who is currently here to discuss the situation of the captured Iranians.
Five Iranian diplomats were taken captive by U.S. forces in the city of Irbil, northern Iraq, in January 2007.
Al-Maliki stressed that the Iraqi officials were making serious and increasing efforts for the release of the kidnapped diplomats.
According to Baqeri, the Iraqi prime minister has issued necessary orders on Monday for the urgent release of the Iranian diplomats