Visiting Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki denied in Damascus
on Tuesday that he was carrying any message to Syria from the US
administration on border security control.
"I only conveyed Iraq's message and none other," he told
reporters after meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and
his deputy Farouk al-Shara.
He underlined that the security issue is the key to any
improvement in relations, saying ministers from both sides were
ensuring that any agreements would be implemented.
The two sides were deliberating on setting up an effective
mechanism to strengthen border control and prevent infiltrations
across Iraq, Maliki said, adding that any cross-border violations
should not be blamed on one side only, but on both.
The US has been accusing Syria of doing little to stop anti-US
militants and weapons from infiltrating into Iraq, an allegation
denied by Damascus.
The US president's national security spokesman Gordon Johndroe
said on Monday that the White House expects Maliki to give Syria a
"strong message" against backing violent insurgents in Iraq.
He said Maliki will likely "be delivering a message to the
Syrians which is: Please stop allowing foreign fighters, extremists
to enter Iraq through your country."
Maliki, on his first trip to Syria since he took office in 2006,
arrived in Damascus Monday morning for a three-day official
visit.
It was also the second time for Maliki to visit a US arch-foe
within one month. In early August, Maliki visited Iran.
Besides Assad and Shara, Maliki also held separate talks with
his Syrian counterpart Mohammad Naji Ottri and Foreign Minister
Walid al-Muallem.
Maliki said he found significant understanding and support to
Iraq's political process and national reconciliation from Syrian
leaders.
The leaders he met in Syria, Iran, Turkey and other neighboring
states were all prepared to help achieve peace and stability in
Iraq and protect the region against any potential unrest, he
added.
On the economic side, Maliki called on Syrian companies to
contribute to the reconstruction process in Iraq, saying Iraq
needed Syrian support to put the country back on its feet.
On the 1.5 million Iraqi refugees in Syria, Maliki said the
refugee issue was a humanitarian problem that needed
cooperation.
"We have shown every willingness to cooperate with our brothers
in Syria to address the issue of displaced persons," he said.
(Xinhua News Agency August 22, 2007)
