Leading Iraqi politicians began face-to-face talks Monday, their first since the March 7 elections in a bid to break the deadlock on forming a new government, DPA reported.
Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and his main rival Iyad Allawi were attending the meeting in Arbil, the capital of the autonomous northern region of Kurdistan.
Ammar al-Hakim, head of the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council - the main Shiite political party - and President Jalal Talabani were also among the leaders.