South Front
Click to see full-size image. Source: the Syrian Presidency Office.
On July 16, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani arrived in Syria on the first official visit by an Iraqi primer to the country since the war broke out there in 2011.
Iraq was one of few Arab countries that refused to cut ties with Damascus when the Syrian war started. Both countries maintain special relations with Iran. Iraqi fighters fought side by side with government forces in Syria against ISIS and other terrorist groups.
Farhad Alaaldin, foreign affairs adviser to the Iraqi prime minister, said al-Sudani will discuss combatting the flow of drugs, especially the amphetamine Captagon, and preventing the infiltration of ISIS on the Syrian-Iraqi border with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
The two leaders would also discuss trade and economic cooperation and possibilities for reopening an oil export pipeline in the Mediterranean, which could help Iraq diversify its export routes, Alaaldin.
The Iraqi prime minister received in an official ceremony at the People’s Palace in Damascus, and later held a press conference with president al-Assad.
During the conference, the two leaders hailed the historic ties between Syria and Iraq and stressed that these relations should be developed at the official and popular levels, according to the official Syrian Arab News Agency.
President al-Assad said that this visit is an opportunity to build an institutional relationship and achieve a great leap in bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
From his side, the Iraqi prime minister said that Syria has a special place in the hearts of all Iraqis who are proud of the steadfastness of the Syrian people in the face of the “terrorist war.” Al-Sudani also called to end sanctions against Syria and condemned repeated Israel attacks on the war-torn country.
Earlier this year, Syria was readmitted to the Arab League. Iraq played a key role in the decision that ended a decade long Arab boycott of Damascus.
Al-Sudani’s visit came amid high tension between Syria and the United States over the last unsanctioned military presence in the country. Considering Washington’s special relations with Iraq, the visit could help decrease tensions between the two sides.
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