Syrian FM to visit Iraq amid diplomatic push
Shafaq News/ Iraq’s Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein has extended an official invitation to his Syrian counterpart, Asaad Al-Shibani, to visit Baghdad, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry announced on Saturday.
Deputy Foreign Minister Hisham Al-Alawi confirmed that Iraq has engaged with Syria’s transitional administration, with its representatives participating in meetings in Paris and Riyadh and preparing for an upcoming gathering in Brussels.
“There is an invitation from the Iraqi foreign minister to his Syrian counterpart,” Al-Alawi confirmed to Shafaq News. “However, the timing of Al-Shibani’s visit to Baghdad has not yet been finalized.”
According to the Foreign Ministry, Al-Shibani has expressed his willingness to accept the invitation, which aims to strengthen bilateral ties and address regional security and political developments.
Since the fall of President Bashar Al-Assad, relations between Iraq and Syria have remained largely dormant, with no high-level diplomatic or political exchanges. The only exception was a visit by Iraqi intelligence Chief Hamid Al-Shatri to Damascus.
Baghdad has yet to take a formal stance on Syria’s political transition. While Ahmad Al-Sharaa has been appointed as Syria’s transitional president, Iraq has neither recognized nor engaged with the new leadership, stating that it is closely monitoring developments before making any decisions.
Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mahmoud Al-Mashhadani has voiced opposition to Al-Sharaa’s potential visit to Baghdad, citing concerns over possible backlash from certain segments of Iraqi society.
In a recent interview with France 24, Hussein confirmed that Al-Shibani would visit Baghdad “very soon” and reiterated that Iraq’s upcoming Arab League summit in May will extend invitations to all Arab leaders, including Al-Sharaa.
Iraq is set to host the 34th Arab League summit in 2025 after securing approval from the organization. Syria, which was next in line to host the summit, agreed to forgo its turn in favor of Baghdad.
