Syria's Foreign Minister heads to Baghdad - for the first time in 26 years
For the first time since Syria and Iraq broke off relations in 1980, Syria is sending its Foreign Minister to Baghdad.
Walid Al-Muallim will attend a conference of all of Iraq's neighbours next Thursday to discuss the deteriorating situation in the country.
It's a sign that relations are warming between the countries, and certainly wont be happening without a nod from the US.
And of course Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki fled Iraq in the 1980s and lived in Syria. He ran the Dawa party from Damascus for 20 years before returning to Baghdad shortly after the American invasion. Most other Iraqi politicians lived in the US over that period. (Thanks George)
So does this mark the start of a shorter road from Damascus to Baghdad?
Don't forget that Iraq's new PM spent many a year in exile in Damascus and had close ties with the insiders during the reign of Hafez al-Assad, which I suppose might inclue Walid al-Muallem.
Posted by
George Ajjan |
2:27 am
I hope Syria will put an ambasador in Iraq who knew Almaleki .
Posted by
norman |
6:27 am