Berlin  - Germany is to end its long-standing coolness to the US-backed government of Iraq, sending its foreign minister to Baghdad next year, Foreign Ministry aides confirmed Saturday.

The change would be a gesture of support for the Mideast policies of US president-elect Barack Obama, one newspaper, Handelsblatt, was set to report on Monday, quoting senior German Foreign Ministry officials.

Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier was once chief of staff to former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and is closely identified with Germany's disapproval of the 2003 invasion of Iraq ordered by President George W Bush.

Berlin refused military assistance and has been no more than frostily polite to the new government ever since.

Handelsblatt said Steinmeier, who would pay the visit in the first few months of 2008, had told aides to study substantive aid projects for Iraq.

Although another German minister has travelled to Iraq, Steinmeier would be the first German foreign minister to go there since dictator Saddam Hussein was toppled.

The plan to upgrade relations with Iraq was also reported by the weekly magazine Der Spiegel. (dpa)