On the visit of Ramadan to Damascus
Syria-Iraq, Politics, 8/23/2001

The Monte Carlo radio correspondent in Damascus said that the Syrian and Iraqi sides did not disclose news on the nature of the talks President Bashar al-Assad held with the Iraqi vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan to Damascus just one day following President Bashar al-Assad's visit to Kuwait.

The correspondent added that Syrian official sources were confined to stressing the economic nature not the political one of the talks, adding that the discussions were limited on results of works of the Syrian- Iraqi joint higher committee recently held in Baghdad under the chairmanship of the Syrian prime minister Muhammad Mustafa Miro as well as the trade and economic agreements signed and prospects of economic co-operation between the two sides.

The correspondent added that observers expect that President Bashar al-Assad to have briefed Ramadan on the process of his talks in Kuwait, quoting press sources as saying that Syria made efforts to calm down the atmospheres between Iraq and Kuwait.

However, well-informed diplomatic sources said that the Syrian efforts were opposed by the rejection of the Kuwaiti side to talk about reconciliation with the Iraqi regime, adding that the Kuwaitis stressed to president al-Assad that they are not worries from the closeness of relations between Baghdad and Damascus as far as it stays in the economic framework.

The news reports indicated that Syria restored relations with Baghdad in the mid of 1997, but still political closeness relations, remained in opposition to the will of the Iraqi side, very limited.

Previous Stories:
  Al-Assad confers with Junblat, Ramadan   (8/22/2001)
  On the Syrian- Iraqi relations   (8/20/2001)
  Syrian Premier meets with Iraqi President, higher committee talks opened   (8/13/2001)

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