TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki arrived in Damascus on Sunday for talks with President Bashar al-Assad and tried to defuse the recent tension between Syria and Iraq which arose after the devastating bombing attacks in Baghdad on August 19.

Iraq has accused Syria of hosting camps to train insurgents and harboring those responsible for the bombings.
Al-Assad told Mottaki that Syria is ready to receive evidence of allegations that Iraq has made against his country.
The Syrian president went on to say that “We want security and stability in Iraq and (we) condemn recent terrorist explosions in Iraq.”
He added it is essential that Iraq maintains its unity and retains its territorial integrity.
Al-Assad also thanked Iran for its continuous efforts to help resolve the regional crises and called for continuation of such efforts.
Damascus is willing to establish amicable relations with Bagdad and that it has made serious efforts in this regard, he stated.
Mottaki, for his part, described Tehran-Damascus relations as strategic, saying this strong relationship is helpful in maintaining stability and security in the region.
On the crisis between Iraq and Syria, he said the enemy is benefiting from the frozen ties between Baghdad and Damascus and called for cooperation to resolve the current crisis.
Mottaki also condemned the recent terrorist attacks in Iraq and called for a collective cooperation among regional countries to help counter terrorism in Iraq in order to bring security and stability to the country.
The twin truck bombings at the ministries of finance and foreign affairs on August 19 in Baghdad left almost 100 dead and hundreds more wounded.
On Sunday, Iraqi security officials made fresh accusations about Syria's alleged role, showing journalists footage of what they claimed was a Saudi militant confessing he had attended a training camp in Syria. Last week, Iraqi police aired the confession of an Iraqi man saying a former Iraqi Baathist based in Syria had ordered the ministry attacks. It is impossible to verify any of the claims.
Iraq recalled its ambassador from Damascus to protest about the allegations, and Syria retaliated within hours by ordering back its envoy from Baghdad.
Assad slams Iraq over ""immoral"" charges
On Monday, the Syrian leader described as ""immoral"" Iraq's accusation that Damascus was responsible for attacks in Baghdad and again asked Baghdad to produce evidence, Reuters reported.
""When Syria is accused of killing Iraqis, while it is housing around 1.2 million Iraqis ... this is considered an immoral accusation,"" Assad told a joint news conference with visiting Cypriot President Demetris Christofias in Damascus.
""When Syria is accused of supporting terrorism, while it has been fighting it for decades ... this is a political accusation that follows no political logic. And when it is accused of terrorism without proof, it is outside any legal logic.