Iraqi premier makes rare visit to Syria amid Arab normalisation
- Mohammed Shia al-Sudani met Bashar al-Assad, who said the visit would mark a ‘practical leap’ in ties between the countries
- The official visit was the first by an Iraqi premier to war-torn Syria in more than a decade
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani visited neighbouring Syria on Sunday, marking a growing Arab normalisation with the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
The official visit was the first by an Iraqi premier to war-torn Syria in more than a decade.
Al-Sudani met al-Assad, who said the visit would mark a “practical leap” in ties between the two countries.
In mid-2014, Islamic State extremist organisation overran large swathes of northern Iraq. Soon thereafter, the hardline jihadists proclaimed a caliphate, which also included the regions they controlled in Syria.
But even though the militant group later lost its territory, it remains active in both Syria and Iraq.
The Iraqi prime minister said on Sunday security remains a main concern for the two countries.