- DAMASCUS: A representative of Iraq's prime minister said on Tuesday that tension between Damascus and Baghdad "has come to and end." Abdul-Halim Al-Zuhairi, a member of the prime minister's Dawa party, made his statements after meeting Syrian President Bashar Assad in Damascus, the first such visit since relations between the long time rivals deteriorated a year ago.
Earlier this year, Iraqi Vice President Tariq Al-Hashemi also went to Damascus but the current visit was the first by a direct envoy of the prime minister after he accused Syria last year of harboring the perpetrators of a deadly Baghdad blasts that killed 101 people.
Syria denied the charges.
The two countries recalled their ambassadors, and the dispute escalated into a serious setback to efforts to repair relationships strained for decades during Saddam Hussein's rule in Iraq. The ambassadors have yet to return to their posts.
"There is no crisis with Syria. Relations are normal and good. There were some statements from some politicians and these statement have been superseded," Al-Zuhairi said during a news conference.