Iraq's Talabani visits Assad seeking closer ties

DAMASCUS, Jan 15 (Reuters) President Jalal Talabani, on the first trip to Syria by an Iraqi head of state for 30 years, met President Bashar al-Assad during a visit expected to focus on stabilising Iraq and preventing insurgents crossing their long border.

Talabani, who lived in exile in Syria in the 1970s, wants to use his six-day trip to discuss ways to stem the violence in Iraq and stop what the United States says is a flow of men and arms across the border to help the insurgency in Iraq.

The two neighbours restored diplomatic relations only last month after a breach in the 1980s when Syria, alone in the Arab world, sided with Tehran during the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war.

''We hope this will be a successful visit. We have a desire to develop ties in all fields,'' Assad told Talabani when they met at a hilltop palace overlooking the Syrian capital.

''Syria stood with us in difficult times,'' said Talabani, speaking in the presence of journalists. ''I came here with a large delegation to show our seriousness about advancing our relations with Syria.'' Talabani has said he wants Damascus to stop a flow of fighters and weapons into Iraq to join the insurgency against his government. Syria denies involvement and says it has an interest in preventing Iraq's conflict from becoming civil war.

Talabani, a Kurd, founded the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan in the 1970s, when he, along with scores of other exiled opponents of then President Saddam Hussein, was living in Syria.

Fakhri Karim, a member of the Iraqi delegation who is well connected in Syria, said security would figure high in talks between Iraqi and Syrian officials.

A deal to sell up to 400,000 tonnes of Syrian wheat to Iraq is also expected to be discussed.

Syria, which has been strengthening its ties with Iran, is trying to convene a conference of Iraqi political forces to stop violence in Iraq. Iran has influence with some groups in the Shi'ite majority now in power in Iraq.

Damascus hopes that improved ties and stability in Iraq will increase Syrian exports and allow the resumption of crude oil flows through a pipeline running from the oil city of Kirkuk in northern Iraq to Syria's Mediterranean coast.

Talabani's delegation includes the chief of the State Oil Marketing Organisation and the interior, trade, and water ministers. He will also meet some of the hundreds of thousands of Iraqis who have fled to Syria since the 2003 US-led invasion that removed Saddam from power but led to civil strife.

Talabani is likely to hold further talks with Assad and other top officials during his visit, which is expected to end on Jan 19.

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