Iraqi prime minister, US envoy discuss efforts to support Syria’s stability, recovery

By Laith Al-Jnaidi and Mohammad Sio

BAGHDAD / ISTANBUL (AA) – Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani met in Baghdad on Sunday with US envoy to Damascus Tom Barrack to discuss ways of supporting Syria’s stability, security and economic recovery.

The meeting reviewed “practical steps Iraq can take to back Syria’s stability and prosperity while reinforcing Iraq’s own security and economic growth,” the prime minister’s office said in a statement.

The talks also covered preventing further regional escalation, supporting diplomacy to resolve disputes and placing the region on a path toward cooperation, economic development and lasting stability, the office said.

Barrack stressed “the constructive role Iraq can play in achieving these shared goals,” the statement said.

On Dec. 8, 2024, Syrian opposition forces entered Damascus, with President Bashar al-Assad fleeing the country, ending his rule, which lasted from 2000 to 2024.

Syrians now mark the fall of the Assad family’s rule as a national day of liberation.

Assad fled to Russia last December, ending the Baath Party regime, which had been in power since 1963. President Ahmad al-Sharaa’s new transitional administration was formed in January.