A photo released by the official Syrian Arab news agency (SANA) on 16 July 2023 shows Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (R) speaking during a joint press conference with Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani follwoing their meeting. -/Sana/dpa
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani on Sunday visited neighboring Syria, marking a growing Arab normalization with the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
The official visit was the first by an Iraqi premier to war-torn Syria in more than a decade. Al-Sudani met al-Assad, who said the visit would mark a “practical leap” in ties between the two countries. In mid-2014, the Islamic State extremist organization overran large swathes of northern Iraq.
Shortly thereafter, the hardline jihadists proclaimed a caliphate, which also included the regions they controlled in Syria.
