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Syria and Iraq Warm Ties

Syria`s Foreign Minister, Walid Moallem, has met with Iraq`s Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki for the first time since Saddam`s regime has been overthrown, in Baghdad. Moallem also met with Iraqi Foreign Minister, Hoshyar Zebari, and Iraqi President Jalal Talabani. This seems to signify a warming of relations between the two nations, whose ties have seen ups and downs since Syria cut off its relations in 1982, saying that Iraq has been fueling anti-government sentiments in Syria. Syria later supported the Iraqi side in the Iran-Iraq war between 1980 and 1988. During Saddam`s final years as President commercial ties have improved, yet no Syrian minister has visited Iraq in the past six years.

Moallem has called for an end of violence in Iraq, saying: "We are exerting all our efforts and understand that Iraq`s security is part of our security. We will co-operate and we have specific ideas to discuss with the brothers in Iraq in order to set up this co-operation." Moallem said it plans to assist the Iraqi government in securing peace in the county, announcing "Syria renews its condemnation of all acts of terrorism that are occurring in Iraq and are harming the Iraqi people. We call you to cling to your unity." It has also been decided that the two countries exchange ambassadors once a new Iraqi government is formed February.

US and British authorities have made claims that Syria is taking an active roll in the acts of terrorism against the Iraqi government and people by supplying funding and allowing insurgents to cross from and through Syria to Iraq. Syria has repetitively denied the accusations.