Talabani's trip comes just days after US President George W. Bush vowed to take tough action against alleged meddling in Iraq by both Syria and its main regional ally Iran.

It also coincides with a Middle East tour by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who is seeking to shore up Arab support for Bush's new strategy in the war-ravaged nation.

Talabani will hold talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and other officials during the trip, his first since Baghdad and Damascus restored diplomatic ties in November after a 26-year rupture.

"The aim of the visit is to evaluate and strengthen mutual relations for the benefit of both the countries," said a statement from Talabani's office.

Iraq was for decades ruled by a rival branch of the Baath party that remains in power in Syria but then Iraqi president Saddam Hussein severed relations after Syria backed Iran when his troops invaded in 1980.

On Friday, an official from Talabani's office said the two presidents are to sign a number of agreements on security and trade.

Syrian Vice President Faruq al-Shara said on Wednesday that "rapprochement between the two countries is aimed at consolidating relations" and "is not happening because of external reasons" related to the United States.

As leader of the rebel Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, Talabani was one of many Iraqi opposition figures to spend lengthy stays in Syria during the 1980s as well as to hold a Syrian passport.

Talabani's office said in March 2004 that he had returned his Syrian passport "with a message of thanks and acknowledgement of the support this country granted at the time to the Iraqi opposition".

Washington has repeatedly accused Damascus of turning a blind eye towards foreign fighters using its territory to enter Iraq and take part in a raging anti-US insurgency, but Baghdad has insisted on building ties.

During an address to the nation Wednesday in which he announced plans to boost troop numbers in Iraq, Bush also vowed to cut off Iranian and Syrian support to "terrorists" in Iraq.

"We will interrupt the flow of support from Iran and Syria. And we will seek out and destroy the networks providing advanced weaponry and training to our enemies in Iraq," Bush said.

But following the speech, the White House on Friday took the unusual step of dismissing what it called a "rumour and urban legend" that the United States was gearing up for military action against Iran or Syria.

Damascus has insisted that it is already cooperating with Baghdad, having in December signed an agreement aimed at strengthening security on their common border.

"Contrary to arguments circulating in the media and political circles, Syria has cooperated, and continues to cooperate, on securing and stabilizing the situation in Iraq," the Syrian embassy in Washington said Friday.

The embassy said that since the US-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003, Syria had captured thousands of individuals attempting to illegally cross the border into Iraq and extradited them to their home countries.

Last month, US Senator Arlen Specter said Assad had told him that he had tried to engage the United States to work with his forces to seal the porous border, but that "the United States has not been responsive."

Talabani's delegation includes Interior Minister Jawad Bolani, Trade Minister Abdel Falah al-Sudani, Water Resources Minister Abdel Latif Rashid and national security advisor Muwaffaq al-Rubaie.