HAWLER, Kurdistan (Gulan)—On the first day of his official visit to
neighboring Syria, Kurdish Prime Minister, Nechirvan Barzani, held an hour long meeting with Syrian Vice President, Abdulhalim Khaddam.  

Sources say that a number of “important” subjects, regarding the security of the
region and the latest developments and their impact on the Middle East, were on the agenda as the two leaders met in Damascus on Saturday. Both leaders
stressed the significance of continues bilateral relations. 

Syria is one of the four major counties in the region, which also embraces the
homeland for more than one million Kurds. In their confronting with the Kurdish question Syrian leaders historically have had different strategies. The Kurdish population of Syria is recognized as a minority and thus has been granted some freedom of national expression within the constitution of the country. This has so far meant that Kurds in Syria been able to have their own parties which are politically engaged in the Kurdish dominated areas. 

The ruling Baath Party in Syria has especially had a friendly relation to Iraqi
Kurdish parties, KDP in particular, but also Iraqi Communist Party and PUK. 

Prime Minister Barzani who was invited on the Syrian Baath Party’s official request is due to hold close meetings with a number of Party and government officials during this week