Syria’s Al-Sharaa: Border with Iraq is secure
Shafaq News- Damascus
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa said on Tuesday that the border with Iraq was fully secure and that the two countries were coordinating closely, adding that no armed group posed a threat to both countries.
In a televised interview with Dijlah TV, al-Sharaa described Syria as Iraq’s gateway to the Mediterranean Sea, arguing that Damascus could provide Baghdad with an export route for its oil through Mediterranean ports. “Syria could serve as a corridor linking Iraq’s Grand Faw Port to the Mediterranean, while Iraq could connect Syria with Saudi Arabia.”
Al-Sharaa welcomed a visit by Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi.
The Syrian president stressed that Damascus did not view Iraq through a sectarian lens and that the two countries shared numerous interests.
Al-Sharaa described the agricultural land extending across Syria and Iraq as a potential source of food for the wider region. “The two countries shared around 100 million dunams of agricultural land, which he said could produce enough food to feed approximately 130 million people.”
Regarding the transfer of ISIS detainees to Iraq, al-Sharaa noted that the move had taken place at a sensitive time. “Around 3,000 Syrians were among those transferred, and discussions had taken place with the Iraqi judiciary over the possible repatriation of Syrian detainees.”
Addressing Iraq’s efforts to bring weapons under state control and combat corruption, al-Sharaa argued that the proliferation of armed factions weakened the state rather than protecting it. He called on Iraqi political forces to support the disarmament process pursued by Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, whom he praised for his commitment to fighting corruption.
