1ST LEAD: Iraqi president arrives in Syria for talks


dpa German Press Agency
Published: Sunday January 14, 2007

Damascus- Iraqi President Jalal Talabani arrived in Damascus Sunday for talks with his Syrian counterpart Bashar Assad on ways of boosting cooperation between the two counties to end the continuing violence in Iraq. Assad welcomed Talabani at an official reception at the presidential palace. Streets leading to the palace were festooned with Syrian and Iraqi flags.

Talabani's six-day visit to Syria is the first by an Iraqi president since the two countries cut diplomatic ties in 1980. Syria and Iraq resumed diplomatic relations last November.

Talaani, a veteran Kurdish politician who lived for years in exile in Syria, is expected to discuss with Syrian officials the issue of security on the country's long desert border.

Both the United States and Iraq have accused Syria of failing to take sufficient steps to stop militants from infiltrating to join insurgents fighting the US-led forces and Iraqi government troops.

Damascus has repeatedly denied involvement in such attacks, claiming that if Syrians are involved, they are acting independently.

Talabani is to be accompanied by a high-level delegation and a number of cooperation agreements between the two countries in various fields are expected to be signed.

Syria and Iraq last month signed a memorandum to cooperate in combating terrorism and crime.

Talabani's visit also follows US President George W Bush's announcement of his new strategy on Iraq, in which he lashed out at Syria and Iran, accusing them of fuelling Iraq's violence and vowing to break supply lines from them to militants in Iraq.

The Iraqi president is however a staunch supporter of the need to conduct dialogue with Syria and Iran to end the cycle of violence in Iraq.

© 2006 dpa German Press Agency