BAGHDAD, Nov 21: Iraq and Syria agreed to restore full diplomatic relations on Tuesday after a break of a quarter of a century -- a move Iraq hopes may help stem what it says is Syrian support for militants.

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al Moualem, making the first visit by a Syrian minister to Iraq since the US-led invasion in 2003, signed an accord with Iraqi counterpart Hoshiyar Zebari in which they agreed US troops should stay in Iraq for now.

Mr Moualem had earlier called for the setting of a timetable for the withdrawal of 140,000 US troops. The document said troops should gradually withdraw once they were not needed.

Amid calls for President George Bush to open talks with US adversaries Syria and Iran to help stabilise Iraq, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani will fly to Tehran on Saturday and visit Damascus soon, Mr Zebari said.—Reuters