Monday, December 11, 2006
Syrian, Iraqi embassies re-open
Diplomacy
Two decades of diplomatic boycott ended on Monday when Syria and Iraq re-opened their embassies in each other's capital. Iraq's flag was raised on the roof terrace of its embassy in Damascus in a ceremony attended by Syrian and Iraqi officials. A similar event took place in the Mansour district of Baghdad outside the US-controlled Green Zone, officials said. Iraq and Syria severed ties when Syria sided with Iran during the Iraq-Iran war in the 1980s. The two governments agreed to restore full diplomatic ties last month during a visit by Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Al Moualem to Baghdad.
