|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
By Category |
 |
|
|
| |
|
| |
| |
India On Media |
|
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
| Politics
News |
|
| US and Syria hold landmark talks |
| US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has begun a ground-breaking meeting with the Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem at a summit in Egypt.
|
| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
, 3-May-2007
10:35:29 AM |
| It is the first time the two countries have held such a high-level talks since the death of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in 2005.
Syrian officials have been linked to his killing - a claim Syria denies.
The US has also accused Syria of stoking violence in Iraq, but says it has recently showed signs of changing.
"There has been some movement by the Syrians," a US military spokesman said in Baghdad.
"There has been a reduction in the flow of foreign fighters into Iraq" for more than a month, Major General William Caldwell said.
Greeting over lunch
The meeting between Ms Rice and Mr Muallem took place on the sidelines of a major conference in Egypt, called to try to help pacify and develop Iraq.
There is speculation that Ms Rice may also hold talks with her Iranian counterpart, Manouchehr Mottaki.
If she did, it would be the first time the two countries held such high-level talks since the United States cut relations in 1980.
Ms Rice and Mr Mottaki greeted each other at lunch at the conference on Thursday, but "they said hello, that's about it", said US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack.
Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri Maliki opened the conference with an appeal to other countries to write off its debts.
He said Iraq needed to free up funds to invest in much-needed reconstruction projects.
"We call on all the friends and brothers participating in this conference to forgive Iraq all its debts in order to enable it to start the projects," Mr Maliki said.
'Critical juncture'
Thursday's conference was called to endorse a five-year International Compact for Iraq (ICI), under which Iraq will institute reforms promoting national reconciliation, and will receive major financial assistance.
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said: "Iraq is at a critical juncture.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ADVERTISEMENTS
Free offer!!! Become an administrator for your zip home page, "Post" local news (local to your postcode)& pictures, "Post" advertisement banners from local companies. Make Extra money.
|
 |
 |
|
|
| |
|
