Syria and Iraq must begin a new stage of honest cooperation now that the dictatorship in Iraq has come to an end, Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi said Friday. In comments to Syria's state-run official news agency upon his arrival in Damascus on a regional tour, Allawi also thanked Syria for supporting and welcoming Iraqis «when we were struggling against the dictatorship in Iraq.» «We must begin a new stage of honest and brotherly cooperation, coordination and unity, now that the dictatorship in Iraq has ended and sovereignty has been transferred to the Iraqi people,» Allawi told SANA. «We hope this visit will strengthen relations. We are one people in two countries,» al-Otari said. On Saturday, Allawi will meet with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad and hold a press conference. He then moves on to neighboring Lebanon on his regional tour.
