Syrian-Iraqi Intergovernmental Commission To Convene In Damascus In April - Reports

Syrian-Iraqi Intergovernmental Commission to Convene in Damascus in April - Reports

The Syrian-Iraqi intergovernmental commission will convene for the first time since 2011 in April in the Syrian capital of Damascus, and a number of bilateral agreements are expected to be signed, Syrian newspaper al-Watan reported, citing an unnamed Iraqi official

DAMASCUS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th March, 2019) The Syrian-Iraqi intergovernmental commission will convene for the first time since 2011 in April in the Syrian capital of Damascus, and a number of bilateral agreements are expected to be signed, Syrian newspaper al-Watan reported, citing an unnamed Iraqi official.

"A decision was made that a high-ranking Iraqi delegation will visit Damascus in April. The delegation will include several ministers. The visit will aim at resuming the operation of the Syrian-Iraqi commission that has been suspended since 2011 ... Several agreements and protocols on cooperation in various areas are expected to be signed," the source said.

The intergovernmental commission last convened in 2011 in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad.

Exactly that year, Syria plunged in a civil war, in which the government forces have been fighting against numerous opposition groups and militant and terrorist organizations for years. Iraq has been assisting Damascus in its fight, serving as a ceasefire guarantor. As the Syrian government has regained control over most of the country's territories that were seized by terrorists, the country is now returning to peaceful life.

Meanwhile, a Syrian-Iraqi working group discussed, at its meeting held in Damascus in late January, trade relations, freight traffic and the possibility to open border checkpoints between the neighboring countries.