Iraq and Syria strengthen ties with reopening of key border crossing

Crossing shut in December when Syrian rebels toppled Assad regime

Al Qaim border crossing was closed when HTS-led rebels took control of Damascus in December. Photo: The Iraqi Border Points Commission

Iraq and Syria reopened the main border crossing for travellers and goods on Saturday, Iraqi authorities announced.

The move is the latest sign of warming relations between Baghdad and Damascus, after months of strained ties following the ousting of the Bashar Al Assad regime from Syria.

Al Qaim border crossing, about 400km west of Baghdad, in Anbar province, was closed when Hayat Tahrir Al Sham-led Syrian rebels took control of Damascus in December.

“The crossing has been reopened after obtaining the necessary approvals from the high-ranking authorities,” the Iraqi Border Points Commission said in a statement. It added that the first Syrian lorry and passengers had entered Iraq.

Resuming traffic at Al Qaim border crossing “marks a significant step in enhancing economic co-operation, which will meet the needs of both countries and contribute to achieving economic stability and development”, the statement added.

When HTS took over, Iraq cautiously welcomed the regime change in Damascus and called for an inclusive political process.

It has since expressed concern over the situation in Syria, warning of the danger of a resurgent ISIS. Iraqi officials have said the number of extremist group militants has increased and they have seized more weapons.

Iraqi Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammed Bahr Al Uloom, right, meets Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al Shaibani before the Arab League summit, in Baghdad, in May. AFP

ISIS overran large parts of Iraq and Syria in the summer of 2014, declaring a caliphate that took in substantial areas in both countries. During that time, it led a campaign of widespread and systematic abuse of international human rights and humanitarian law.

Iraqi troops, backed by a US-led international coalition, reclaimed all ISIS-held territory in Iraq in late 2017, after three years of fighting. However, ISIS fighters still carry out sporadic attacks, mainly in rural areas.

In recent weeks, relations have warmed with senior delegations visiting Baghdad and Damascus. The Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani invited Syria's President Ahmad Al Shara to the Arab Summit meeting in Baghdad last month.

However, Mr Al Shara did not attend due to widespread objections from Iraqis for his past links to Al Qaeda in Iraq. He served as a field leader for the extremist group fighting American and Iraqi troops after the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.