US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is on an unannounced tour to the Middle East, met Iraqi Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani in Baghdad on Friday (local time) to discuss the future of neighbouring Syria.
Blinken’s visit to Baghdad was the final stop on his Middle East tour, following the toppling of President Bashar al-Assad’s government in Syria.
The Secretary of State underscored the US’ commitment to Iraq’s security, stability, and sovereignty.
“Iraqi Prime Minister Sudani and I met to discuss the latest developments in Syria. I underscored our commitment to Iraq’s security, stability, and sovereignty,” Blinken stated in a post on X.
According to Al Jazeera, Blinken and al-Sudani discussed the need for Syria’s transition from dictatorship to democracy to be inclusive and protective of all minorities.
They discussed “the conviction of so many countries in the region and beyond that as Syria transitions from the Assad dictatorship to hopefully a democracy, it does so in a way that, of course, protects all of the minorities in Syria, that produces an inclusive, nonsectarian government”, Blinken said, adding that Syria “should not become a platform for terrorism.”
“I think this is a moment as well for Iraq to reinforce its own sovereignty as well as its stability, security and success going forward,” Blinken said.
Highlighting the joint effort of the United States and Iraq to work together successfully to defeat and dismantle the territorial caliphate, that ISIS (also known as Daesh) had established in Iraq and Syria several years ago.
“The United States [and] Iraq together had tremendous success in taking away the territorial caliphate that Daesh had created years ago. No one knows the importance of that more than Iraq because of the ongoing presence of ISIS [ISIL], or Daesh, in Syria, and we are determined to make sure that Daesh cannot re-emerge,” Blinken said.
The opposition fighters in Syria, who were involved in overthrowing President Bashar al-Assad, led by a group called Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), have rejected any affiliation with extremist groups like al-Qaeda and ISIS (ISIL) and affirmed that “they have no ambitions in Iraq,” according to Al Jazeera.
Iraq opted not to allow Shia rebel groups to intervene in Syria as the opposition forces advanced and ultimately seized Damascus last weekend despite Baghdad’s concerns that unrest could spill over the border.
Syria’s newly appointed Prime Minister, Mohammed al-Bashir, has focused on repatriating Syrian refugees living abroad as one of his key goals. Al-Bashir aims to “bring back the millions of Syrian refugees who are abroad” as part of efforts to restore stability in the country.
The Syrian government continues to face challenges, including unrest surrounding the tomb of Hafez al-Assad, which was recently set on fire.
Blinken arrived in Baghdad after stopping in Turkiye, where he also emphasised the importance of working against a resurgence of ISIL.
During his meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, he spoke stressed on the importance of a “Syria-led” and “Syrian-owned” transition.
“Turkish Foreign Minister@HakanFidanand I met to discuss the situation in Syria and the importance of a Syria-led and Syrian-owned transition. We also spoke about the need to protect the rights and freedoms of Syrians, including members of minorities, during this pivotal time,” Blinken stated.