Syrian Vice President Farouk al-Shara on Monday renewed Syria's support for efforts to achieve national reconciliation in Iraq and make the political process a success, the official SANA news agency reported.

The renewal came in a meeting between al-Shara and visiting Iraqi Vice President Tarek al-Hashemi, where they reviewed the latest developments on regional and international arenas, particularly the Iraqi issue.

"National accordance and end of occupation are the guarantee for restoring stability in Iraq and preserving its territorial integrity," al-Shara was quoted as saying.

For his part, al-Hashemi stressed the importance of Syria's role in helping Iraq find a way out of the current difficult situation and expressed appreciation for Syria's hosting of Iraqi refugees.

The two sides also discussed bilateral relations and expressed willingness to boost cooperation in all fields, SANA said.

Al-Hashemi arrived in Damascus earlier in the day on an official visit to Syria.

(Xinhua News Agency March 6, 2007)