الزيدي في دمشق للقاء الشرع .. العراق وسورية نحو شراكة إستراتيجية جديدة

As Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaydi visits Damascus today (Wednesday), Syrian President Ahmad Al-Shara has confirmed that the Syrian-Iraqi border is completely secure.

The first visit by an Iraqi Prime Minister since the fall of Bashar Al-Assad's regime to Syria reflects the two countries' direction towards strengthening bilateral relations, particularly in the economic and oil sectors.

The visit comes at a time when Baghdad is expressing its desire to enhance cooperation with the new Syrian administration after months of cautious dealings, amid a shared border that extends over 600 kilometers.

The visit coincides with advanced steps in the energy file, as Iraq has recently begun exporting limited quantities of oil through Syria following the disruption of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz due to the regional war.

The two countries signed a memorandum of understanding in July to revive the "Haditha-Baniyas" pipeline for transporting Iraqi oil, along with another memorandum with a coalition of three companies led by the American "Chevron" to implement the project.

Al-Zaydi and Al-Shara met last month in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, while U.S. envoy Tom Brack described the relationship between the two countries as moving towards "cooperation, stability, and mutual prosperity."

In an interview with Dijlah TV, Al-Shara spoke last night (Tuesday) about the existence of joint coordination.

He confirmed that the threats from ISIS have diminished, stating that "there is no organization that poses a threat to both countries."

He pointed out that the governments of Iraq and Syria are in agreement on the commonalities that unite the two countries and welcomed the visit of Iraqis to Syria.

Al-Shara emphasized that Syria does not view Iraq through a sectarian lens, saying: "We have many commonalities, and the social relations between Iraq and Syria have remained healthy for years." He noted that since he came to power, Baghdad's policies have been positive despite attempts by some parties to take opposing stances. The Syrian President affirmed that he "did not intervene in the sectarian conflict in Iraq after the events of 2003." He added that he "was released from prison in Iraq in 2011 and then returned to Syria... and did not harm any Iraqi civilian."

He stressed that "the stability of Syria is in the interest of Iraq and vice versa," saying, "We must start from our commonalities and establish a suitable climate for relations without fears... what unites us is greater than what divides us, and we have had enough of wars and discussions."

The Syrian President stated: "We are in contact with global companies to connect the Baniyas pipeline to the refineries, and there are memoranda of understanding signed between Syria and Iraq regarding the Baniyas-Kirkuk line." He added that Syria is the gateway and maritime outlet for Iraq and is considered Iraq's access to the Mediterranean Sea for oil exports.