UNITED NATIONS, Dec 24: Iraq and Iran on Monday asked the United Nations to authorize opening of borders between the two countries for transfer of goods under the UN oil-for-food programme for Baghdad, officials here said.

The crossing point would be the first between longtime enemies Iraq and Iran to be set up under the UN humanitarian programme, which was established in 1996 to enable Baghdad to buy food, medicines and other civilian goods with the proceeds of its oil sales.

The UN Office of the Iraq Programme, which oversees the oil- for-food scheme, will now send inspection agents to the new Khusravi/Mondhariya crossing point, with an eye to opening it for business in late January or early February, the officials said.

UN diplomats here said the additional crossing point would make it easier for Iranian firms to ship and sell goods to Iraq and could bolster ties between the two countries that fought an eight-year war beginning in 1980. The move comes as the United States threatens military strikes on Iraq should it fail to eliminate any biological, chemical or nuclear weapons it may have as required by UN Security Council resolutions.