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.

Ankara - Iraqi President Jalal Talabani has called on Turkey to announce an amnesty for Kurdish separatists, saying this was the best way to end three decades of fighting in south-east Turkey.

In an interview published in Sabah newspaper Wednesday, Talabani said he believed the Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) was ready to lay down its arms and hand its weapons over to US forces in northern Iraq if a general amnesty was announced.

Ankara - Iraqi President Jalal Talabani held talks in Istanbul with his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul on Tuesday with the main topic being how to increase security so as to increase bilateral trade, the NTV television station reported.

Baghdad  - Iraqi President Jalal Talabani is looking forward to retiring after his term expires at the end of the year, Iraq's Buratha news agency reported on Friday, citing an interview with Iranian television.

"I think at the end of this year, my tour will be finished, and I hope to be retired, to go back home and to have time for writing my memoirs," the Iraqi president told the English-language Iranian television station Press TV in the interview broadcast Friday.

Tehran - Iraqi President Jalal Talabani arrived in Tehran on Tuesday to attend the 10th Summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) as guest and observer.

Iran, Pakistan and Turkey founded the ECO in 1985. Later Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan joined the group.

Talabani was in Tehran three weeks ago and discussed with his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad expansion of bilateral ties.

Tehran - Iraqi President Jalal Talabani arrived in Tehran Friday for talks with his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.