Syrian president holds talks with Iraqi FM in Damascus

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Wednesday held talks with Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari in the Syrian capital Damascus to overcome the current tension between the two countries after the recent U.S. raid on a Syrian village. “President Bashar al-Assad received this morning Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari to discuss bilateral relations between the two countries in all political, security, and economic fields in order to overcome the tensions that marred relations after a U.S. raid on the Syrian Abukamal area,” said a foreign ministry statement received by IraqiNews.com. “Foreign Minister Zebari conveyed a letter sent by His Excellency Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to Syrian President on the latest developments of the talks between Iraqi government and U.S. government on the agreement on the status of U.S. forces in Iraq ,” it added. ”Foreign Minister expressed the government’s stance concerning the military raid and stressed its stance in rejecting the raid, stressing that the government’s policy is based on the permanent constitution and does not allow Iraq to be a starting point for any hostile actions against Iraq ’s neighboring countries,” it said. Foreign Minister Zebari stressed the Iraqi government’s keenness to develop and activate bilateral relations and the necessity of continuing the work of the security committees between Iraq and neighboring countries and the continuing of mutual visits between officials. The meeting was attended by Mr. Walid Moallem, Syrian Foreign Minister and the Syrian Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Dr. Faisal Mekdad , Undersecretary Labeed Abbawi and the Iraqi charge d’affaires in Damascus . SH (S) 1