Iraq and Syria reopen embassies

Dec 11, 2006, 11:30 GMT

Damascus/Baghdad - Iraq reopened its embassy in Syria on Monday ending almost a quarter-century of severed ties between the two countries.

The Iraqi flag was raised over the new Damascus diplomatic office in the presence of representatives from the foreign ministries of both countries, while a similar ceremony was scheduled to take place in Baghdad with the opening of the Syrian embassy in Iraq.

'The opening of the embassy is a tangible expression of the good will of Iraq and Syria to resume full diplomatic relations, that would further increase ties of fraternity and cooperation between the two countries,' said Deputy Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk Taha in Damascus.

Iraqi Foreign Ministry representative Libeid al-Abawi said the opening of the embassy would be followed by other measures relating to naming ambassadors.

The new Iraqi embassy is located in an upmarket district of Damascus, close to the US embassy in the city.

Iraq and Syria had agreed to restore diplomatic ties severed more than 24 years ago during a visit to Baghdad last month by Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem.

Taha said the opening of the embassy underlined Syrian support for the current political process aimed at preserving Iraqi territorial unity.

Al-Abawi meanwhile said an Iraqi security delegation, headed by the country's interior minister, would visit Syria in the coming days for talks.

'I hope that this step would be a prelude to establishing constructive and developed relations... and to resolving all outstanding (issues) between the two countries,' al-Abawi said.

Syria broke diplomatic ties with Iraq in 1982, accusing it of inciting riots in Syria by the banned Muslim Brotherhood. Damascus also sided with Iran in the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war.

Trade ties between Iraq and Syria were restored in 1997, making commercial exchange between the two countries reach over one billion dollars through the UN's oil-for-food project.

In February 2000, Iraq opened an interest section in Syria, the first diplomatic link in over 19 years, to improve trade and deliver food and medicine to the Iraqi people.

The US administration is under pressure to engage Syria and Iran as part of a diplomatic effort to bring stability in Iraq.