Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi arrived in Damascus on Wednesday and met Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa at the People's Palace. It is the first visit by an Iraqi prime minister to Syria since the fall of Bashar al-Assad, marking a turning point in ties between the two neighbours.
According to Iraq's official news agency, the leaders discussed exporting Iraqi oil through the Baniyas line, increasing bilateral trade and joint work on agriculture to build food and economic integration. Iraq has begun exporting limited quantities of oil through Syria since the outbreak of the US-led war on Iran.
In July the two countries signed agreements to revive the Haditha-Baniyas pipeline, along with a memorandum of understanding with a three-company consortium, including US oil major Chevron, to carry out the project.
"The Iraqi and Syrian people are one people in two countries," al-Zaidi said, calling for closer economic, social and security cooperation and unified positions on regional and international issues. Al-Sharaa welcomed the visit and stressed Syria's wish to take cooperation to the highest level. The two leaders previously met in New York in September on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.