SYRIA: Former Iraqi prime minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari, who belongs to the Shi'ite Dawa party of prime minister Nuri al-Maliki, met with Syrian Vice President Farouq al-Shara to discuss boosting bilateral relations

Former Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari, who belongs to the Shi'ite Dawa party of prime minister Nuri al-Maliki, met with Syrian Vice President Farouq al-Shara in Damascus to discuss boosting bilateral relations on Wednesday (December 13). "We are studying ways to facilitate any difficulties that emerged in exceptional conditions to enhance the Iraqi-Syrian relationships so we can make these relations better than ever before," al-Jaafari told a news conference following his meeting with Shara. Jaafari said that it was in both the interest of Iraq and Syria to improve bilateral ties between the two countries. "The ways to enhance the Iraqi-Syrian relationship do not have limits because it is in both countries' interests to exchange ideas whether in the economic and trading fields and also to maintain security in our countries while respecting the sovereignty of the two countries," he said. Syria and Iraq re-opened their embassies in each other's capitals on Monday (December 11), ending more than two decades of diplomatic boycott since Syria sided with Iran during the Iraq-Iran war. The flag of Iraq was raised on the roof terrace of its embassy in Damascus in a ceremony attended by Syrian and Iraqi officials. A similar event took place in the Mansour district of Baghdad outside the U.S.-controlled Green Zone, officials said. Iraq and neighbouring Syria agreed to restore full diplomatic relations last month during a visit to Iraq by Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem, the first by a Syrian minister since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion which toppled former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. As part of the deal to restore diplomatic relations Syria agreed on the need for US.-led forces to stay in Iraq until they were no longer needed, after which they would be gradually withdrawn. U.S. and Iraqi officials have accused Syria of supporting Sunni insurgents and have long complained that Syria has done too little to seal its border to foreign Islamist fighters.

ITN Source | December 15, 2006

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