Iraqi PM Ali al Zaidi meets Ahmed al Sharaa in historic Syria visit

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi arrived in Damascus on Wednesday morning to meet with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. According to the Jerusalem Post and The National UAE, this marks the first visit by an Iraqi leader to Syria since the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in late 2024. Al-Zaidi is traveling with a high-level federal delegation.

Although the two leaders previously met in New York during the UN General Assembly in September, this visit focuses on the future of bilateral relations and regional developments.

The discussions are expected to prioritize economic and trade cooperation, security, and counter-terrorism efforts. Al-Sharaa told Dijlah TV, as reported by SANA, that the two nations have a historic opportunity to deepen economic cooperation, coordinate regional security, and strengthen state institutions. He specifically highlighted Syria's role as a trade corridor for Iraq, noting the connections between Iraq’s Faw Port and the Syrian Mediterranean.

Al-Monitor reports that Sharaa has also sought to address concerns regarding his past militant activity in Iraq as oil trade and security cooperation between the two countries rise.

Brief written by urgent.news from Qatar Tribune, Al-Monitor, Jerusalem Post, The National UAE — 4 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.