DAMASCUS, July 23 (AFP) - Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi arrived in Damascus on Friday for an official visit on the third leg of his maiden tour of the Middle East.
Allawi, who is travelling with several ministers, was greeted at the airport by his Syrian counterpart Mohammad Naji Otri.
The Iraqi leader, who was appointed on June 1 and took power on June 28, will have talks with President Bashar al-Assad on "developing bilateral relations and strengthening cooperation ... in various domains," according to the offical Syrian news agency Sana.
Questions of border security and the issue of Iraqi funds deposited in Syrian banks are also likely on the agenda, diplomats said.
Allawi, who has made stops in Jordan and Egypt, will also visit Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.