Iraq and Syria will re-open their respective embassies on Monday after decades of diplomatic deep freeze, Iraqi politician Ahmad Chalabi said on Saturday following talks with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem. Chalabi, who is in Damascus for a three-day visit said that Syria was also studying joint patrols with Iraqi forces along the desert border between the two countries. 

"Syria is ready to exchange security data and cooperate on the ground," he said. "Iraq is also ready to facilitate an economic exchange with Syria and resume exports of oil through the pipeline to Partous. But this of course is tied to the security situation on the Iraqi side." (Reuters)