Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi met Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa in Damascus on October 28, 2026, for high-level talks focused on expanding economic, trade, energy, and security cooperation.
It marked the first visit by an Iraqi prime minister since the current Syrian authorities took power after the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.
The two leaders and their delegations discussed practical steps to deepen bilateral ties along their roughly 600-kilometer shared border.
Key topics included rehabilitating the Kirkuk-Baniyas (also referred to as Haditha-Banias) oil pipeline to give Iraq an additional Mediterranean export route with potential capacity of up to two million barrels per day, increasing trade volumes, developing regional trade corridors including links between Iraq’s Grand Faw Port and Syria’s Tartous Port, preparing a joint Syrian-Iraqi economic conference for investors in energy, transport, agriculture, and trade, and strengthening border security coordination against terrorism, smuggling, and organized crime.
Trade and transport between the two countries have already expanded significantly. Officials noted more than 100,000 transit trucks and over 40,000 import/export trucks crossed in the previous six to seven months.
Limited Iraqi oil exports by truck through Syria have also begun amid disruptions to Strait of Hormuz shipping. A July 2026 memorandum of understanding had already set the stage for pipeline revival.
Syria is positioning itself as a transit hub for regional and global trade, while Iraq seeks reliable alternative export routes and closer neighborly coordination.
Both sides framed the discussions as an opportunity to convert shared geographic, historical, and economic interests into concrete programs that support stability and development.
Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa
“Syria and Iraq face a historic opportunity to strengthen joint cooperation, restore decision-making in the region and build two strong states capable of protecting their interests and achieving development and prosperity… Syria’s role as a trade corridor for Iraq is important… We are committed to achieving the highest levels of cooperation with Iraq.”
(Remarks reflecting statements from the Syrian presidency and an interview with Iraq’s Dijlah TV)
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi
“We are working on developing partnership and joint cooperation in various fields, particularly economic and social, strengthening security cooperation and unifying positions on regional and international issues, and working to achieve peace and stability in the region.”
(Statement from the Iraqi prime minister’s office)
The sides also discussed arrangements for a high-level Iraqi security delegation to visit Syria and the need to exchange information and address border tensions.
Follow-up work is expected on translating the understandings into practical cooperation programs, with energy infrastructure and trade facilitation remaining central priorities.
