Dubai, March 11 - Iran will start exporting gas to Iraq within next three months, according to Iranian Oil Minister Rostam Qasemi.

Qasemi, who met his Iraqi counterpart Abdul Kareem al-Luaibi in Baghdad, said Sunday the agreement on Iranian gas supplies to Iraq had "reached the stage of final signing".

"The launch of gas exports will proceed by stages. First, gas will start to be supplied to Baghdad and then, within another three months, to Basra," IRNA quoted Qasemi as saying.

Iraq is expected to consume about 20-25 million cubic metres of Iranian gas per day.

Iran, which has the world's second largest natural gas reserves after Russia, is also close to signing an agreement on gas supplies to Syria via Iraq, Qasemi said.

"The signing of this agreement will take place in Tehran with the participation of representatives from the three countries," the minister said. (IANS)