Hoshyar Zebari after secret meeting with Ahmed al-Sharaa: He knows Iraq better than me

According to Kurdistan Press, Hoshyar Zebari, the former Iraqi Foreign Minister, described the current relations between Iraq and Syria as “good” after a secret trip to Damascus and meeting with Ahmed al-Sharaa.

According to Russia Today, Zebari appeared on the “Baghdad Hour” program on Al-Hurra TV on Friday evening. He praised the new Syrian regime and said that in his view, it “has become more stable, has credibility, and controls the borders, and Iraq’s relations with it are also good.”The former Iraqi Foreign Minister also downplayed the security concerns of some Iraqis about relations with Damascus and the security situation in Syria, saying: "There are no longer any security gaps that can be exploited. The Syrian government enjoys very strong support from the United States, Turkey, the Gulf countries, Arab countries, and the international community; therefore, it has a very good opportunity to establish security and stability and exercise control."

Zebari revealed that he had traveled to Syria and met with the head of the transitional government, Ahmed al-Sharaa, and a number of officials in the country. Syrian-Iraqi relations were the main focus of these talks, and the two sides have provided a basis for improving relations between Syria and the Iraqi government. He also pointed to the role he himself played in this regard, saying that he, along with a number of other Iraqi parties, has been a pioneer in opening the path of interaction and approaching Syria.He added: “I traveled to Syria and Nechirvan Barzani, the president of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, also traveled to Syria. My trip took place last June and was not announced.

He also said that during this trip, he conveyed messages to Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, as well as to the Coordination Framework.

Zebari described al-Shara’s view of Iraq as “good and positive,” saying: “The talks were frank and friendly.” He said: “We have a new system and we have learned from our mistakes.”

Zebari continued: “It is true that he has a jihadist background and has fought in Iraq and knows Iraq better than I do; from Mosul and Sinjar and Tal Afar to Tikrit and other areas. But to be fair, he has good feelings towards Iraq and says that our bilateral relations as two countries and two nations go far beyond being limited to security relations. We have trade, people-to-people and social ties, as well as geographical continuity.”The former Iraqi Foreign Minister stressed that the head of the Syrian transitional government is not worried about Iraq, saying: On the contrary, Al-Sharaa said that our brothers in Iraq are worried; but we are not worried. We have now experienced a new system and a change, and we want to benefit from your experience.

Zebari also revealed that the Iraqi side had previously invited Ahmed Al-Sharaa to visit Iraq, but the former Prime Minister [Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani] was supposed to visit Syria, who had been invited several times.

He added that the Iraqi side delayed this due to a kind of consideration and caution, as well as due to existing pessimism and stereotypes.

According to Zebari, after that, and as a result of the efforts he personally made, the process was facilitated, and the Iraqi Foreign Minister became the first Iraqi official to visit Syria after about two years.He added that after the good meeting in New York between Al-Sharaa and Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi, the atmosphere of relations between Iraq and Syria is now better, and Al-Sharaa is also very keen to expand communication and interaction with Iraq.

Zebari also pointed out the common interests of the two countries in the economic sector, saying that Iraq has proposed a plan to transport its oil through Syrian territory.

Zebari noted that Iraq had proposed the idea of ​​this project to the Syrian government since 2008, during the rule of Bashar al-Assad, when there was no sign of a war between the United States and Iran.

He explained that at that time the "Aqaba-Hadith" pipeline plan and the "Banias" line were proposed, but Israel opposed the implementation of this project.