Iraqi PM's trip to Syria underlines support for unity: Iraqi Advisor
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The political advisor for Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani, Fadi Al-Shimri, says the premier's visit is an opportunity to underline Iraq's support for Syria's unity, security, and stability.
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In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, right, welcomes Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani during a welcome ceremony in Damascus, Syria, Sunday, July 16, 2023 (SANA via AP)
The political advisor to the Iraqi Prime Minister, Fadi al-Shammari, said Sunday that Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani's visit to Syria came in response to an official invitation from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Al-Shammari explained that al-Sudani's visit is an opportunity to underline Iraq's support for Syria's unity, security, and stability, as well as an opportunity to recall Iraq's position in support of Syria's return to the Arab League.
The visit represents an affirmation of Iraq's support for the efforts exerted to lift the siege on the Syrian people and support for peace efforts in the region.
He also underscored the need for joint cooperation between the two countries and the countries of the region to achieve stability, the main entry point for economic development.
Moreover, he stressed that the visit also focused on the common challenges between the two countries, including the refugee issue and the challenges related to water scarcity and its environmental effects on the two countries, in addition to combating drug trafficking.
Moreover, al-Shammari indicated that the visit included a discussion of bilateral relations between the two countries, and the promotion of cooperation in various fields, including trade exchange, energy, transportation, and industry.
The visit additionally included affirmations of continuous coordination between the two countries on various issues, especially security coordination and joint efforts in combating terrorism.
Al-Sudani's government "is working in the area of foreign relations to boost economic partnerships, and it believes in the ability of the countries of the region to form a successful economic bloc that benefits all the peoples of the region."
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed 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 2011.
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.
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 at improving coordination, bilateral relations, and security cooperation between the two friendly nations.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Fouad 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."
