Middle East
Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani (left) and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (right) during a joint press conference in Damascus on July 16, 2023. Photo: Louai Beshara/AFP
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani travelled to Damascus on Sunday for a meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, the first visit of an Iraqi PM to Syria since the outbreak of the civil war over a decade ago.
Sudani’s trip was at the formal invitation of Assad. While most regional countries suspended diplomatic relations with Syria following the outbreak of the conflict, Iraq maintained ties and was one of the first Arabic countries to welcome a recent thaw in relations with Damascus.
“Iraq and Syria are connected historically, socially, and geographically,” Sudani told reporters during a joint press conference. “Security and stability push the two countries into further cooperation and coordination to face all plans and challenges.”
Assad also touched on their long-standing relations and commended Baghdad for standing by Damascus “when the aggression against Syria began.”
He also highlighted Iraq’s support and delivery of aid to quake-hit Syrians earlier this year. February's disastrous earthquake, which rocked both Syria and Turkey killing tens of thousands, was a catalyst for Saudi-led efforts to normalize relations with Assad, culminating in Arab states readmitting Syria into the Arab League after a 12 year hiatus.
Sudani reiterated Iraq’s stance in supporting Syria’s economic rehabilitation, emphasizing that “there is no room to leave Syria to face challenges on its own, as that would negatively backfire on Iraq and the region.”
The two leaders were united in implicitly blaming Turkey for water scarcity in their countries because of dams on the shared rivers. Assad referred to water shortages as the "theft of Syria and Iraq's share," without explicitly naming Turkey.
Sudani also refrained from naming Turkey, but stated that Iraq and Syria need to cooperate in combating the water scarcity challenge, and stressed the need for holding dialogue with “upstream countries” to ensure that fair shares are guaranteed to both Baghdad and Damascus.
Water levels in the Euphrates and Tigris rivers - shared by Iraq, Syria, and Turkey - have dropped dramatically in recent years. Climate change, reduced precipitation, and massive dams built in Turkey are all contributing factors.
Sudani and Assad also discussed the thousands of Iraqis being held in al-Hol camp, under the control of Kurdish forces in northeast Syria. The Iraqi PM said he was ready to cooperate with the Syrian government to ensure the “safe and dignified return” of Iraqi citizens.
Al-Hol houses over 50,000 people from around the world, most of whom are wives and children of Islamic State (ISIS) fighters. The camp has been branded a breeding ground for ISIS and described as a "ticking time bomb" by Kurdish and Iraqi authorities.
There have been repeated calls from Kurdish and American officials asking the international community to repatriate their nationals from al-Hol, but only a few countries have responded positively as they are worried about security concerns.
Sudani’s trip was at the formal invitation of Assad. While most regional countries suspended diplomatic relations with Syria following the outbreak of the conflict, Iraq maintained ties and was one of the first Arabic countries to welcome a recent thaw in relations with Damascus.
“Iraq and Syria are connected historically, socially, and geographically,” Sudani told reporters during a joint press conference. “Security and stability push the two countries into further cooperation and coordination to face all plans and challenges.”
Assad also touched on their long-standing relations and commended Baghdad for standing by Damascus “when the aggression against Syria began.”
He also highlighted Iraq’s support and delivery of aid to quake-hit Syrians earlier this year. February's disastrous earthquake, which rocked both Syria and Turkey killing tens of thousands, was a catalyst for Saudi-led efforts to normalize relations with Assad, culminating in Arab states readmitting Syria into the Arab League after a 12 year hiatus.
Sudani reiterated Iraq’s stance in supporting Syria’s economic rehabilitation, emphasizing that “there is no room to leave Syria to face challenges on its own, as that would negatively backfire on Iraq and the region.”
The two leaders were united in implicitly blaming Turkey for water scarcity in their countries because of dams on the shared rivers. Assad referred to water shortages as the "theft of Syria and Iraq's share," without explicitly naming Turkey.
Sudani also refrained from naming Turkey, but stated that Iraq and Syria need to cooperate in combating the water scarcity challenge, and stressed the need for holding dialogue with “upstream countries” to ensure that fair shares are guaranteed to both Baghdad and Damascus.
Water levels in the Euphrates and Tigris rivers - shared by Iraq, Syria, and Turkey - have dropped dramatically in recent years. Climate change, reduced precipitation, and massive dams built in Turkey are all contributing factors.
Sudani and Assad also discussed the thousands of Iraqis being held in al-Hol camp, under the control of Kurdish forces in northeast Syria. The Iraqi PM said he was ready to cooperate with the Syrian government to ensure the “safe and dignified return” of Iraqi citizens.
Al-Hol houses over 50,000 people from around the world, most of whom are wives and children of Islamic State (ISIS) fighters. The camp has been branded a breeding ground for ISIS and described as a "ticking time bomb" by Kurdish and Iraqi authorities.
There have been repeated calls from Kurdish and American officials asking the international community to repatriate their nationals from al-Hol, but only a few countries have responded positively as they are worried about security concerns.
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