Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia Al-Sudani began an official state visit to Syria on Sunday, marking the first visit by an Iraqi premier since the beginning of the war on the country in 2012.

Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad received the Prime Minister, during which he praised the relations between the two nations and stressed the need to further improve bilateral relations.

During their meeting at the People's Palace, Al-Assad confirmed that Iraq and Syria standing by each other is an indicator of their brotherly relations.

The Syrian President added that the visit is the outcome of the deep and long-standing relationship that brings the countries together, highlighting that Iraq was Syria's voice in the Arab and international forums in rejecting the aggression against the country.

من كلمة الرئيس السوري #بشار_الأسد خلال المؤتمر الصحافي المشترك مع رئيس الوزراء العراقي محمد شياع السوداني في #قصر_الشعب في #دمشق:

" #العراق كان هو صوت #سوريا في المحافل العربية والدولية رفضاً للعدوان عليها. وأوجه التحية للجيش العراقي والحشد الذين سطروا أروع الانتصارات بالتعاون… pic.twitter.com/lvYymR5JNm

— قناة الميادين (@AlMayadeenNews) July 16, 2023

Al-Assad saluted the Iraqi army and the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), "who achieved astounding victories in cooperation with the Syrian army and auxiliary forces."

"We meet today in light of major global challenges, foremost of which is the challenge of terrorism, which does not end because of Western support," adding that the greatest challenge today is the theft of a large part of the Syrian and Iraqi share of water from the Tigris river.

من كلمة الرئيس السوري #بشار_الأسد خلال المؤتمر الصحافي المشترك مع رئيس الوزراء العراقي محمد شياع السوداني في #قصر_الشعب في #دمشق:

"نلتقي اليوم في ظل تحديات عالمية كبرى وفي مقدمها تحدي الإرهاب وهو الذي لا يموت بسبب الدعم الغربي. والتحدي الأكبر هو سرقة قسم كبير من حصة #سوريا و… pic.twitter.com/liyaxbxHlc

— قناة الميادين (@AlMayadeenNews) July 16, 2023

Syria's leader also confirmed that many issues were discussed, especially the new developments in the Arab situation, describing it as relatively positive. He added that this visit will constitute a real shift in the framework of brotherly relations, especially as it comes in light of the improvement of Arab conditions and the restoration of Iraq's role in the region.

On his part, Al-Sudani told the Syrian President that the Iraqi people highly value the stance of the Syrian people and their leadership to confront the most violent terrorist attack.

Al-Sudani also thanked the Syrian President for his invitation and good reception, saying that the key to the region's security is stability and tackling economic challenges.

Iraq worked hard to restore Syria to its natural role, the Iraqi prime minister said, explaining that "there is no room for leaving Syria to face threats alone, as this will negatively affect the region."

"There are common challenges that we must face, especially the security challenges at the borders between the two countries," Al-Sudani said, noting that both countries face the challenge of water scarcity, and they must address the issue with upstream countries.

Al-Sudani affirmed that his country supports the measures aimed at lifting sanctions on Syria, reiterating his position rejecting the Israeli occupation of Syrian, Palestinian, and Lebanese territories.

The Syrian presidency said in a statement that talks between the Syrian President and the Iraqi Prime Minister focused on permanent mutual cooperation in combating terrorism, coordination in various political issues, and a wide range of other fields of cooperation.

Discussions also focused on bilateral relations between Syria and Iraq and on developing multi-sector collaboration, the statement read.

رئيس مجلس الوزراء @mohamedshia يغادر العاصمة بغداد متوجهاً إلى الجمهورية العربية السورية في زيارة رسمية . pic.twitter.com/qSAeSuX6Qb

— المكتب الإعلامي لرئيس الوزراء 🇮🇶 (@IraqiPMO) July 16, 2023

Ties between the two neighboring countries, both of which have suffered from, yet defeated, terrorist groups, on top of which was US-backed ISIS, saw remarkable improvements in the past few years, especially after Baghdad played a key role in the rapprochement between Syria and the Arab world following years-long of severed ties.

Read more: 20 years of war: How much did the US war in Iraq, Syria cost?

Iraq's efforts were crowned by the amended relations between Damascus and the Arab League last May, which led to Syria returning to the region's largest political and trade institution.

Syrian Foreign and Expatriates Minister Faisal Mekdad made a trip to Baghdad last month aimed to improve coordination, bilateral relations, and security cooperation between the two friendly nations.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein emphasized to Mekdad that the Iraqi-Syrian ties are deep and historical, stressing that his country's stance in "supporting Syria and standing by it is firm."

Read more: US occupation fortifies Syria bases with hardware from Iraq

"Iraq and Syria seek to strengthen bilateral efforts to control common borders, prevent terrorist infiltration, and exchange intelligence information to ensure border security and stability," Hussein added. 

"The talks were constructive and included boosting cooperation in all fields…Syria and Iraq stand together in facing all common challenges," Mekdad said concluding his visit. "We discussed joint efforts to countering terrorism, since what affects Syria affects Iraq and vice versa."

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