Syria, Iran focus on region and Islamic conference

Syrian President Hafez Al Assad yesterday held talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi on Middle East developments and Israeli policies.

Juobran Khoury, the Syrian spokesman, said in a statement that the talks dealt with preparation for next month's summit in Tehran of the 52-member Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC).

Kharrazi, on his first visit to Damascus since talking office in August, had similar talks on Friday with Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk Al Shara'a.

The Syrian News Agency said Kharrazi also discussed yesterday with Syrian Vice President Abdel-Halim Khaddam Turkey military zone in northern Iraq and Ankara's military alliance with Israel.

The two men urged Turkey to withdraw its forces from Iraq's northern area--under the control of feuding Kurdish factions--and respect Iraq's territorial integrity, the agency said, Al Ahram daily said today November 10.