BAGHDAD, March 10 (NNN-KUNA) -- The Baghdad International Conference kicked off here Saturday at the Iraqi Foreign Ministry headquarters outside the Green Zone amidst a quiet atmosphere and calm security situation.

The Iraqi government took the decision to hold the conference outside the heavily-guarded Green Zone to indicate the improving security situation in the capital. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki had toured the city's streets yesterday.

The Egyptian and Turkish delegations arrived in Baghdad on Friday, while the remaining delegations arrived today or where to be represented by their ambassadors to Iraq.

The first delegation to enter the meeting hall was the Turkish one, followed by the Iranian delegations and then the remaining participants, after which entered Al-Maliki.

This is the largest international conference to be held in Iraq since the toppled Baathist regime invaded Kuwait in 1990 and the subsequent isolation of Iraq.