(Writes through with quotes from ministers) By Ross Colvin BAGHDAD, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Syria's foreign minister pledged his support for the Iraqi government on a landmark visit to Baghdad on Sunday and said setting a timetable to withdraw U.S. troops would reduce violence. It was the first time a Syrian minister has visited Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 and comes amid increased talk of diplomatic efforts to involve Iraq's neighbours Syria and Iran in helping to end the violence ravaging the country. Syria has been accused by Washington of doing too little to prevent Islamist fighters from crossing the border into Iraq and fomenting a Sunni insurgency in the west of the country. But Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem rejected that. "We condemn terrorism," he said at a joint news conference with Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari. "We support the elected government and national reconciliation," he said. "We support the unity of Iraq and we think that a timetable for pulling out U.S. occupation forces from Iraq will reduce violence in Iraq." U.S. President George W. Bush is under growing pressure to begin withdrawing the 140,000 U.S. troops still in Iraq more than 3-1/2 years after the invasion, but the Iraqi government has said the time is not right for them to go. It was a rare visit by an Arab minister. Many Arab governments have been wary of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's Shi'ite-led administration's close ties to Washington and to non-Arab, Shi'ite Iran. Zebari told Reuters in October the visit by Moualem would be an "acid test" of neighbouring Sunni Arab states' willingness to help Iraq's Shi'ite-led unity government stabilise the country. Iraq and Syria, run by rival wings of the Arab nationalist Baath party, severed ties when Syria sided with Iran during the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war. STRAINED RELATIONS Since the U.S.-led invasion, of which Syria was a vocal critic, relations have been strained. Zebari said Iraq hoped to restore relations: "We don't expect to solve all the problems at one time but there will be more and more visits," he said. "Iraq's security and stability is an issue for Syria and the neighbouring countries," Zebari said. "It's important they support our government and fight terrorism." Iraq's government spokesman, Ali al-Dabbagh, said officials would press Moualem to do more to prevent al Qaeda militants entering Iraq, cut off sources of funding for diehard supporters of Saddam Hussein and end safe haven for Saddam's Baathists. Bush's allies have urged him recently to open the door to talks with Syria and Iran to seek their help in stabilising Iraq, where insurgent violence and sectarian attacks are threatening to tear the country apart. The New York Times said on Saturday that Moualem had met former U.S. Secretary of State James Baker, co-chairman of the bipartisan Iraq Study Group examining strategic options in Iraq. There has been speculation the study group will advocate greater U.S. cooperation with Syria and Iran as the administration considers a change in course on the war after U.S. voters vented their anger at mid-term elections. Moualem made clear he did not fly in under U.S. pressure: "I'm not coming to Iraq to satisfy some other person, I'm coming to Iraq to satisfy the people of Iraq and Syria," he said. Iran, which has close religious ties to Iraq's majority Shi'ite population, and Syria, largely Sunni Muslim, both deny supporting armed groups in Iraq. Syria says a stable Iraq is in its national interest and has called on the Iraqi government to patrol its side of the border more effectively.
