Baghdad - Two blasts occurred outside Iraq's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday as visiting US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte was due to hold a press conference in the Green Zone compound, al-Jazeera satellite channel reported.

The Foreign Ministry building is adjacent to the fortified Green Zone government and diplomatic compound.

Journalists were gathering for a news conference to be given by Negroponte and Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari when the blasts took place, al-Jazeera reported. (dpa)