Shafaq News/ Regional conflicts, border security, and Syria’s political transition will be central topics at the Arab League summit set for May 17 in Baghdad, Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid confirmed on Saturday.

Speaking to Al-Arabiya/Al-Hadath, Rashid indicated that the summit will take up a range of unresolved challenges in the Arab region, with priority placed on delivering enforceable outcomes rather than symbolic declarations.

Syria’s level of participation remains at the discretion of its leadership. Rashid underscored the country's strategic importance as a neighbor, hoping for renewed stability after years of isolation and conflict.

He also welcomed the recent political changes in Damascus, emphasizing the need for an inclusive national process that guarantees equal representation for all communities and safeguards civil rights across the board.

On the security front, Rashid assessed the continued presence of US forces along the Iraqi-Syrian border as essential to preventing the resurgence of Islamic State (ISIS) cells. He warned of armed groups operating near the frontier, underlining the need for direct coordination between Baghdad and Damascus to contain the threat.

He also reaffirmed Iraq’s rejection of any external interference in Syrian affairs, calling for the preservation of Syrian sovereignty. “With a long, porous border, the stability of both countries remains closely interlinked,” he noted.

Earlier this week, Interior Minister Abdul Amir al-Shammari confirmed that no formal security coordination currently exists between the Iraqi and Syrian interior ministries.

Border security has tightened since the collapse of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government on December 8, 2024. Iraqi authorities moved to reinforce the frontier to prevent infiltration by ISIS fighters and other armed factions, citing the group’s 2014 territorial sweep across both countries as a persistent warning.