Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani on Friday said his country was pressing diplomatic efforts aimed at “containing the crisis in Syria due to its clear impact on Iraqi security”.
His remarks came ahead of a meeting between the top diplomats of Baghdad, Damascus and Tehran to discuss developments in Syria, which has been in the throes of a shock offensive that has seen rebel forces capture key cities from the government.
Islamist-led rebels in Syria were about five kilometres (three miles) outside of the western city of Homs, the country’s third largest and a former bastion of anti-government protests.
In a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Sudani on Friday affirmed that “Iraq is continuing intensive diplomatic efforts with the aim of containing the crisis in Syria due to its clear impact on iraqi security”.
“Iraq’s official, fixed stance is in support of Syria’s unity, security and stability,” Sudani added, according to a statement from his office.
Iraq’s Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, during a meeting with his Syrian counterpart Bassam al-Sabbagh, meanwhile expressed “deep concerns” over developments in the neighbouring country.
The two ministers stressed “the importance of continuing consultation and coordination between the two countries to avoid the repetition of previous experiences and to work to protect regional security”.
Sabbagh pointed to “the necessity of mobilising Arab and regional efforts to counter this terrorist threat… and prevent it from moving to other countries”, according to the official Syrian news agency SANA.
Both Iraq and Syria have scarcely recovered from the Islamic State group’s takeover of large swathes of territory in both countries, as well as the subsequent wars waged to eject them.
Iraq’s defence ministry on Monday said it was sending armoured vehicles to enhance security along the country’s 600-kilometres porous border with Syria.
On Thursday, Syrian rebel leader known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Jolani urged Sudani to keep his country distant from Syria’s war and prevent armed groups from backing Bashar al-Assad’s forces.
Faleh al-Fayyad, the head of the Hashed al-Shaabi former paramilitaries now integrated into Iraq’s regular army, on Friday said that “the crisis in Syria is an internal event… and Iraq has no business with it”.
