Kurdistan 24 Exclusive: Iraqi PM Al-Zaidi To Visit Damascus Soon For Energy And Security Talks
The visit was originally planned before al-Zaidi's Amman trip but was delayed by security developments in Jordan, with Syria now conducting a security assessment before confirming the timing, as the two countries work to normalize relations following the fall of the Assad regime
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) - Two sources within the coordination framework told Kurdistan 24 exclusively that Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi will visit Syria in the near future, leading a senior delegation for discussions on bilateral relations with a specific focus on energy, oil, economic, and security files, as Baghdad awaits Damascus's response to confirm the timing following Syria's security assessment.
"The decision has been made for Iraqi PM Ali al-Zaidi to visit Syria soon at the head of a senior delegation," the two sources told Kurdistan 24.
The visit will cover discussions of bilateral relations between the two countries, particularly the energy, oil, economic, and security files.
The Sources told Kurdistan 24.
On the timing, the sources clarified that the visit was originally planned to take place before al-Zaidi's Amman trip, but was moved back due to the events that occurred in Jordan, which were given priority. The Syrian side is now conducting a security assessment before responding to Baghdad, and is expected to provide a response quickly, with the visit to be arranged as soon as preparations are complete.
Iraq-Syria relations have been moving toward normalization following the fall of the Assad regime and the political changes inside Syria. After al-Zaidi assumed the post of Iraqi prime minister, he and Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly sessions in the United States. Following the collapse of the Assad regime and the internal political changes in Syria, regional countries and particularly Iraq have been seeking to reorganize their diplomatic and economic ties with Damascus's new leadership.
The long shared border between the two countries and the presence of security threats have made security coordination a primary item on both governments' agendas. The planned al-Zaidi visit reflects Iraq's intent to establish a formal bilateral framework with Damascus's new government covering the energy sector, where Iraq has historically been an important supplier and economic partner to Syria, alongside the security coordination needed to manage the shared border and the threats that operate across it.
Syrian President al-Sharaa told Kurdistan 24 earlier this year that Damascus has good economic and security ties with the Kurdistan Regional Government and with KDP President Masoud Barzani and PM Masrour Barzani, reflecting the new Syrian leadership's interest in building regional relationships at multiple levels simultaneously.