Iraq and Syria discuss pipeline and trade ties during prime minister's visit

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi held talks with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus, marking the first journey by an Iraqi head of government to Syria following the collapse of the Bashar al-Assad administration.

The diplomatic engagement focused heavily on regional stability, trade expansion, and energy infrastructure, according to a report by Al Jazeera. Bilateral discussions concentrated particularly on utilizing the Baniyas pipeline route to export Iraqi crude oil, expanding commerce, and fostering agricultural partnerships aimed at building regional food security.

Energy cooperation between Damascus and Baghdad has gained momentum following disruptions caused by the outbreak of conflict involving the United States and Iran. Iraq has recently initiated limited petroleum deliveries across Syrian territory. The two nations had previously formalized pacts in July to restore the Haditha-Baniyas pipeline system, alongside a memorandum of understanding with a corporate consortium featuring the United States energy corporation Chevron to execute the infrastructure revival.

During the meeting at the People's Palace, al-Zaidi underscored shared interests across borders, describing the Syrian and Iraqi populations as unified across two separate states. The Iraqi prime minister emphasized the necessity of advancing joint endeavors across commercial, social, and security sectors while aligning foreign policy stances on regional developments, as reported by the Iraqi News Agency.

Al-Sharaa praised the arrival of the Iraqi delegation, pointing to enduring historic bonds and confirming his government's intention to achieve deep economic and political coordination with Baghdad.

The high-level talks follow an earlier discussion between the two leaders held on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where they initially outlined strategies to widen commercial exchanges and security ties.