Baghdad,(SANA)- The deliberations of the Syrian-Iraqi Committee started off deliberations at noon today under the chairmanship of Prime Minister, Mohammed Naji Otri , and his Iraqi counterpart, Nouri Malki.

In his address at the opening session , Otri conveyed President Bashar al-Assad's hope that the government, leadership, and people of Iraq will emerge victorious in dealing with the internal and external challenges , and that Iraq will return to the Arab fold strong and invincible enjoying security, stability , welfare and prosperity.

He added , Syria has always stood by the Iraqi people extending help in the hard times and difficult circumstances and providing warm sanctuary to them.

The prime minister stressed Syria's care for supporting the security and stability of Iraq out of the conviction that the security of Iraq is part of the security and stability system in the region. He also expressed support to the political process on the basis of collective participation of all spectrums of the Iraqi society, and such reconciliation will form basis for achieving the Iraqi security and stability and provides the climate for the pullout of foreign troops from Iraq.

On the level of the Arab joint action, Otri stressed that Syria has always worked to boost Arab solidarity, clearing the atmospheres and adhering to the national and pan-Arab principles in the face of the challenges threatening the Arab nation in spite of the well-known pressures to which Syria had been exposed and ultimately emerged victorious thanks to the leadership of President Bashar al-Assad. Otri indicated that President al-Assad presented at the recent Arab Summit a comprehensive vision for finding solutions to the problems of the Arab nation with the aim of ensuring more Arab solidarity with regard to the main Arab causes including a way for management of Arab differences.

Otri reiterated Syria's determination to continue playing her pivotal role to ensure the security and stability in the region , and to achieve just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East which is based on the resolutions of international legitimacy whereby the restoration of the occupied Syrian Golan is ensured , and the rest of the occupied Arab territories to the line of June 4th 1967, and ensuring the right of the Palestinian people to return to their homeland and establishing their independent state with Jerusalem as its capital.

He also stressed Syria's support to the Palestinian reconciliation and accord as the only means to enable the Palestinian people to attain their rights and deal with the frequent Israeli attacks , underlining Syria's call to the international community to halt the Israeli settlement activities in Jerusalem, the West Bank , and all the Palestinian territories , to condemn the Israeli brutal aggression on Gaza, and to prosecute the Israeli officials responsible for the war crimes , to rebuild what was destroyed by the Israeli barbarian war machine and unconditional opening of the crossings , ensuring access to the basic aid to the needy people in Gaza.

On bilateral cooperation , Otri expressed optimism that the talks today will lead to boosting relations between the two countries in all domains. Otri called on for reviewing the signed agreement and memos of understanding and reactivating them and support them with new agreements.

He expressed the Syrian public and private companies readiness to contribute to rebuild and carryout the Iraqi government developmental and service plans , particularly on the level of infrastructures , housing ,and construction in addition to cooperation in oil and gas exploration .

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Malki gave a speech welcoming Premier Otri and the accompanying delegation, underlining the importance of this meeting in establishing strong cooperation relations.

He also underlined the historic and fraternal bonds between the two countries and their peoples, which form the basis of establishing strategic future relations.

Al-Malki expressed Iraq's desire and commitment to bolster bilateral relations in various fields, particularly economy, services and investment, calling for evaluating cooperation tracks between Syria and Iraq and identify the difficulties and obstacles hindering them in order to overcome them through bilateral ministerial committees, stressing the importance of translating the results of talks into programs and plans that form the basis of a comprehensive partnership.

He concluded by affirming the mutual desire to open communication between Syria and Iraq, noting that Iraq requires the support of brothers and friends to rebuild it, and that Iraq's safety and stability are an integral part of the region's safety and stability.

Later, the two sides reviewed the results of the meetings of the technical committee that focused on cooperation in fields of economy, agriculture, health, irrigation, housing and construction, finance, banking, petroleum, energy, natural gas, transport and more.

The two sides agreed to continue holding bilateral meetings to follow up on their result and present suggestion to the meeting of the Higher Committee.

Earlier, Otri and al-Malki held in a bilateral meeting and discussed cooperation relations between the two countries and means to bolster and develop them, in addition to discussing agreements and memos of understanding signed by the two countries and means for activating them and adding new agreements to them.

The two Prime Ministers discussed the issues listed on the agenda of the Higher Committee and issues of mutual interest, affirming both sides' desire and commitment to overcoming difficulties hindering cooperation and developing them according to the two countries' potentials.

Prime Minister Otri arrived in Baghdad today and was received by his Iraqi counterpart Nouri al-Maliki at Baghdad international Airport.

An official reception was held for Mr. Otri and the two national anthems were played.

Premier Otri is accompanied by an official delegation including the Ministers of Finance, Irrigation, Economy and Trade, Petroleum and Minerals, Interior, Transport, Industry, Housing and Development, and Electricity, in addition to the Chairman of the State Planning Commission, the Assistant Foreign Ministers, and heads of trade, industry and maritime navigation chambers.

A. N. Idelbi / H. Sabbagh/ Mazen