BEIRUT, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- British Foreign Secretary David Miliband has revealed that London has been carrying talks with Damascus on intelligence cooperation against terrorism for the past 18 months, Lebanon's daily newspaper An-Nahar reported Thursday.

    Miliband disclosed the news after meeting Lebanese President Michel Suleiman and Prime Minister Fouad Seniora here Wednesday, according to the report.

    "We will work with the Syrian government to combat terrorism because it threatens us both," Miliband was quoted as saying.

    The British secretary arrived in Lebanon on Tuesday after talks with Syrian President Bashar Assad.

    He was the first British official to visit Syria since 2001 as Syria was facing diplomatic isolation while being blamed to be responsible for the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri in 2005.

    A British embassy statement said here Wednesday that the purpose of Miliband's Mideast tour is to develop stronger relations with the region based on mutual trust and shared interest.