Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki held talks in Damascus on Monday aimed at persuading Syria to drop what Baghdad sees as its support for insurgents in Iraq.
Maliki is the first Iraqi prime minister to visit Damascus since the US-led invasion toppled President Saddam Hussein in 2003 and ushered in instability that helped drive more than one million Iraqi refugees to neighbouring Syria.
"There is no doubt of security figuring highly in these talks. But we will be also discussing economic underpinnings for our ties," said government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh.