Relations need to develop between Iraq and Syria, says Allawi (26/07/04)

Syria and Iraq must begin a new stage of honest cooperation following the implementation of Iraq's new government, Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi said over the weekend. In comments made to Syria's state-run official news agency following his arrival in Damascus on a regional tour, Allawi also thanked Syria for supporting and welcoming Iraqis "when we were struggling against the dictatorship in Iraq" (Iraqis opposed to the country's former regime were able to find a haven in Syria, whose branch of the Baath Party broke with the Iraqi Baath in 1966).

"We are opening a new page with Syria," Allawi told reporters after meeting with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, adding, "It is clear that our visit here is the beginning of a bright chapter in relations between our two brotherly peoples." Allawi called on Syria to participate in the rebuilding of Iraq,invited Syrian state-owned and private companies to enter into thefields of Iraqi telecommunications, transportation and oil.

Both Iraq and Syria expressed the hope to resume diplomatic relations as soon as possible; they broke off in 1980 because of Syria's support to Tehran during the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war. The diplomatic relations with Syria "will be reestablished and will be solid," Allawi told reporters.

On the issue of border security, Allawi said that the sides had agreed to set up a joint committee to improve security along the 600km-long desert border. "We have formed a joint committee to look at these issues in detail in the future, in the weeks ahead," said the Iraqi leader.