Shafaq News- Baghdad/ Damascus

Iraqi and Syrian government delegations on Monday held talks at the Al-Yarubiyah–Rabia border crossing to ease transit and expand trade, Shafaq News correspondent reported.

The discussions focused on facilitating the movement of people and goods and strengthening coordination at border points.

The talks followed the Syrian General Authority for Land and Sea Ports’ announcement that the crossing had reopened after nearly 13 years of closure.

The meeting and reopening were attended by Head of the Syrian General Authority for Land and Sea Ports Qutaiba Badawi, Syrian presidential envoy Brigadier General Ziad Al-Ayesh, and Internal Security Commander in Al-Hasakah Brigadier General Marwan Al-Ali, alongside an Iraqi delegation headed by Head of the Iraqi Border Ports Commission Lieutenant General Omar Al-Waeli.

The Al-Yarubiyah–Rabia crossing is the third land route between Iraq and Syria to resume operations, after Al-Qaim–Al-Bukamal and Al-Walid–Al-Tanf. Its reopening follows a January agreement between the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) that enabled the return of state control in parts of Hasakah province.

The crossing previously served as a United Nations aid corridor before its closure in 2020 after Russia vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution on cross-border access.