Iraqi Prime Minister al-Maliki pays first official visit to Syria

Mr Maliki will be meeting the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, during the three-day visit.

Among the issues Mr Maliki is expected to discuss is the plight of Iraqi refugees, almost two million of whom live in Syria.

Two weeks ago, Mr Maliki went to Iran. Both Iran and Syria have been accused by the US of supporting Iraqi militias.

The visit highlights the growing diplomatic ties between the two neighbouring countries.

Relations were only restored between Syria and Iraq last year after a period of almost 25 years.

Rapprochement

For decades, the two countries promoted rival versions of Baathism and Syria sided with Iran in the eight-year Iran-Iraq war.

A rapprochement was sealed in January with the visit of Iraqi President Jalal Talabani to Damascus.

Mr Maliki is being accompanied by his ministers of oil, trade, the interior and water resources.

He is scheduled to meet Syrian Vice-President Farouq Shara and Foreign Minister Walid Muallem.

The prime minister has faced political problems domestically due to walk-outs staged by a number of political blocs including the main Sunni group.

Iraq's prime minister arrived in Syria on Monday to discuss trade, security and refugees, marking his first trip to the neighbouring country since he took office early last year. Nuri al-Maliki will meet Bashar al-Assad, Syria's president; Faruq al-Shara, vice-president; and Walid Muallem, foreign minister, during his three-day visit.

Al-Maliki's visit comes after he visited Iran earlier this month. Both Tehran and Damascus have been accused by the US of fuelling violence in Iraq. Iraq and Syria restored diplomatic ties in November after a 26-year break over Syria's support for Iran in its eight-year war with Iraq.

The talks will examine resuming commercial agreements made prior to the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, the reopening of an oil pipeline between the two countries, and security issues. Earlier this month, al-Maliki was criticised by Washington after he held meetings with Iranian officials. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran's president, is planning to make his first visit to Iraq although no firm date has been set, Iran's ISNA student news agency reported on Monday.

Refugee talks

In Damascus, al-Maliki is due to discuss problems faced by 1.5 million Iraqi refugees in Syria