Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his visiting Iraqi
counterpart Jalal Talabani held a plenary meeting Sunday afternoon
with the attendance of officials from both sides, the official SANA
news agency reported.
The meeting was held after an official reception given by Assad
at his presidential People's Palace, SANA said.
Assad said in a welcoming speech that the visit of the large and
high-level Iraqi delegation showed the desire of both countries to
advance bilateral relations.
"The visit aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation in all
fields. We hope this will be a successful visit," Assad said.
Talabani, who had lived in exile in Syria for years during
Saddam Hussein's rein, said he was glad to return to Syria,
expressing appreciation for the support by Bashar, his late father
Hafez and their country Syria.
"Syria provided political, military and material support to the
Iraqi people during the fight against autarchy," Talabani said,
adding that Iraq intended to establish better relations with
Syriain all fields, including economy, trade and oil.
Talabani arrived in Damascus earlier in the day with a
delegation including the interior, trade, and water ministers and
chief of the State Oil Marketing Organization, kicking off a
landmark visit to Syria after a quarter-century's rupture between
the two neighbors.
Talabani is the first Iraqi head of state to visit Syria in
nearly three decades. The last visit was by Saddam's predecessor,
Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr, in 1979.
Talabani's visit came only days after US President George W.
Bush announced a new Iraqi strategy which outlines tough actions
against alleged Syrian and Iranian meddling in Iraq.
Syria has been constantly accused by Washington of doing little
to stop foreign fighters from infiltrating into Iraq and thus
destabilizing the situation there.
Damascus denied the charges, saying that it is cooperating with
Iraq on strengthening security along their borders.
In a media interview on Sunday, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar
Zebari said tightening border controls, cracking down on the
infiltration of fighters and other security issues would be among
those Talabani would discuss with the Syrian leaders.
Syria and Iraq restored full diplomatic relations last November
during a visit by Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem to Iraq,
who pledged to help in securing the war-ravaged country.
Diplomatic relations between the two countries broke off in the
1980s as Damascus took the side of Tehran in the eight-year
Iran-Iraq war.
(Xinhua News Agency January 15, 2007)
