Baghdad  - Iraqi President Jalal Talabani on Wednesday hailed "a new era" in the relationship between Iraq and Syria following a Syrian ministerial delegation's visit to Baghdad.

"This visit opens a new era of strategic relations in the political, economic, security, trade, and oil sectors," Talabani said following his meeting with Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed Naji al-Otri on Wednesday.

"Syria is anxious to cooperate with Iraq in all fields, which will serve the interests of both peoples," al-Otri, who arrived in Baghdad on Tuesday at the head of 10-member ministerial delegation, said.

The two countries signed an agreement creating a Supreme Joint Committee for Syrian-Iraqi relations with a mandate to strengthen ties on a long list of issues, including energy, water, finance, communications, sport, media, and the arts.

The committee will be comprised of Iraqi and Syrian ministers of finance, petroleum, trade, electricity, and transportation.

Relations between Syria and Iraq had been strained since Syria supported Iran in its eight-year war with Iraq, but following a series of visits from Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallim, there has been a marked thaw.

A commando raid by US forces based in Iraq on a Syrian village near the border briefly strained relations in 2008.

US and Iraqi officials had formerly complained that Syria was not doing enough to stop militants from crossing into Iraq, though Iraqi officials credited Syria with cutting down on such activity after a visit from al-Muallim in March. (dpa)