Shafaq News- Washington

Syria and Iraq have reached a set of new economic understandings, with plans to advance energy cooperation and facilitate bilateral trade, Syria’s Finance Minister Yisr Barnieh said on Tuesday, describing the communication with the Iraqi government as continuous and constructive.

Speaking to Shafaq News on the sidelines of the World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington, Barnieh added that developments in this “vital issue” are expected soon. He said Syria’s new government is prioritizing the removal of obstacles to trade and investment, stressing official efforts to strengthen ties between business sectors in both countries and restore economic relations to a strategic level.

On international engagements in Washington, Barnieh pointed to progress at the World Bank, where an agreement was reached on a “special annex” to support Syria’s financial sector and reform its financial institutions. The initiative aims to build human capacity, enhance sustainability, and advance digital transformation across Syria’s financial system.

He also confirmed efforts to establish a global “knowledge center” to help Syrian investors form effective partnerships between the public and private sectors.

Earlier, Central Bank of Syria Governor Abdul Qader Hasriya told Shafaq News that steps are underway to enhance financial cooperation with Baghdad, clarifying that ongoing communication with the Central Bank of Iraq includes plans to organize joint economic activities aimed at strengthening banking ties between the two countries.