Iraqi Foreign Ministry on Thursday announced that Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem arrived on an unannounced visit to Baghdad and he was received at the airport by his Iraqi counterpart Ibrahim al-Jaafari. In a statement issued to the media the ministry said, “Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem arrived this afternoon in Baghdad, on an official visit. He was greeted by his counterpart Ibrahim al-Jaafari upon his arrival.”