UNITED NATIONS, Nov 12: US Secretary of State Colin Powell and Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi shook hands on Monday, the first handshake between cabinet ministers from the two longtime enemies in over 20 years.

The greeting took place at the start of a meeting at UN headquarters of foreign ministers from Russia, the United States and Afghanistan’s six neighbors, called to explore the outlines of a post-Taliban government in Afghanistan.

Kharrazi expressed his condolences through Powell to the American people and the families of the victims of the American Airlines plane which crashed in New York just before the meeting, a US diplomat said.

Powell went up to him, shook his hand and thanked him for his condolences, he added.

The United States and Iran have been estranged since the the Iranian revolution of 1979, when the US-backed shah was ousted.

The United States has reached out to Iran since the election of Mohammad Khatami in 1997. Former US President Bill Clinton made a succession of gestures but was repeatedly rebuffed by the Iranians.

Kharrazi and then US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright took part in a similar meeting on Afghanistan at the United Nations last year but did not shake hands.—Reuters