Syria and Iraq to open offices within days
Syria-Iraq, Politics, 4/1/1999

Arab diplomatic sources in Damascus told the London-based al-Hayat daily that the Syrian and Iraqi Foreign Ministries are making contacts with the Algerian Foreign Ministry to arrange opening two departments for supervising Syrian and Iraqi interests in the Algerian embassies in Damascus and Baghdad.

The sources expected that the opening of the two offices will be announced within the coming days.

Last week, Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa announced that he agreed with his Iraqi counterpart, Muhammad Saeed al-Sahaf, during their meeting in Damascus in February to open the two offices under the Algerian flag.

The sources continued that appointment of diplomats by each of Damascus and Baghdad in the Algerian embassies is "a matter of relevance to the two countries," asserting that, "Nothing concrete has been taken so far in this respect."

Opening the two offices will be the main diplomatic step since the beginning of Syrian-Iraqi closeness in May 1997, following 18 years of boycotted relations between the two states.

Previous Stories:
  On the Iraqi pipeline through Syria   (3/22/1999)
  British-Syrian disputes over Iraq   (3/2/1999)
  Assassination of Iraq's al-Sader causes protest demonstration in Damascus   (2/23/1999)
  Al-Assad meets with Iraqi Foreign Minister   (2/22/1999)

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