Iraq and Syria discuss oil exports from Baniyas port and expanding economic cooperation

According to Kurdistan Press, the Iraqi Prime Minister's Information Office announced that during the meeting between Ali Faleh Zaidi and Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus, a series of issues related to bilateral cooperation in the economic, trade and energy fields were discussed and exchanged.According to the report, one of the main topics of the talks was to examine the possibility of exporting Iraqi oil through the Syrian port of Baniyas with a daily capacity of up to 2 million barrels; an issue that, if realized, could pave the way for expanding cooperation between the two countries in the energy sector.

Increasing the volume of trade exchanges between Iraq and Syria was also among the other issues raised in the meeting. The two sides also discussed joint cooperation to develop the agricultural sector and strengthen the complementarity of the economic and food capacities of the two countries; an approach that aims to improve food security and expand economic cooperation.

In another part of the report, it is stated that Ali Faleh Zaidi has allocated $10 million from his personal assets to the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus.According to published information, $5 million of this amount has been earmarked for meeting the needs of the holy shrines and another $5 million for the Umayyad Mosque.

The meeting was held within the framework of efforts by Baghdad and Damascus to expand bilateral relations and strengthen cooperation in strategic areas, especially energy, trade and agriculture.