CAIRO, Sept 12 (AFP) - Washington and Damascus are looking at ways to secure Syria's porous border with Iraq with the aim of stopping alleged militants crossing into Iraq, US Middle East pointman William Burns said Sunday.
Burns, the assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs, was in Cairo on the latest leg of his regional tour after talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus on Saturday which he described as "thorough and candid".
"We talked about ways in which we might explore cooperation with regard to Iraq and our concerns about border security as well as the activities of groups operating out of Syrian territory, who threaten efforts to ensure stability and security in Iraq," he told journalists.
Washington accuses Damascus of backing Palestinian militant groups it regards as terrorist and turning a blind eye to Iraq insurgents, as well as seeking to develop weapons of mass destruction, all charges which the Syrian authorities deny.
Earlier this year, Washington imposed sanctions on Syria and just week before last was the prime mover of a UN Security Council resolution warning Damascus over its involvement in neighbouring Lebanon.
Asked whether there were plans for joint Syrian-American patrols, Burns said: "We talked about mechanisms through which we can talk about practical ways in which we can help ensure border security, which is in the mutual interest of Iraqis as well as Syrians."
Burns, speaking after meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, said their talks had centred on the Israel-Palestinian conflict and Cairo's efforts to restart the stalled Middle East peace process.
"We discussed our mutual efforts to revive the sense of hope to Palestinians and Israelis... I expressed my appreciation for the strong leadership role that Egypt is playing with both sides," Burns said.
Palestinian security chiefs are due in Cairo Sunday to discuss security arrangements ahead of a planned Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.
Egypt has offered to help train Palestinian police and try to broker a truce between armed factions there ahead of the withdrawal of Israeli troops and settlers, set for 2005.
"We discussed our mutual interest in using the opportunity offered by the Gaza disengagement as a step towards full implementation of the roadmap and ultimately the revival of full negotiations, and the revival of the two state solution," Burns said.
The roadmap is the peace blueprint launched in great fanfare in June 2003 by the quartet of the United States, the United Nations, the European Union and Russia, but which has since stalled amid continuing Palestinian-Israeli violence.
"These are difficult times for Palestinians and Israelis, but it makes Egypt's active role the more important."
Burns added that he would be holding talks with the other members of the quartet next week aimed at "intensifying cooperation with regard to the Palestinian issue".
Cairo in July hosted a meeting of countries neighbouring Iraq aimed at tightening security along that country's borders.
While Egypt has said it will not send troops to Iraq, it would be prepared to train Iraqi police in Egypt.
Burns is due to meet Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit later Sunday.