The president of Syria Bashar al-Assad and the prime minister of Iraq Mohammed Shia al-Sudani agreed today that it is necessary to strengthen their bilateral relations, especially in the field of combating terrorism.

“There are challenges that we have faced directly, primarily that of terrorism,” Assad said at a joint press conference with Sudani in Damascus, stressing the importance of cooperation between the two countries’ armed forces.

Iraq and Syria have common border of 600 km in the desert, which facilitates the movements of Islamic State nuclei and drug trafficking. In 2014, IS captured large areas in both countries and imposed a regime of terror until its defeat in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria in 2019. However, cores of the organization still launch sporadic attacks in Iraq and Syria.

According to the Syrian president, joint efforts to combat terrorism were at the center of the talks he had with Sudani today.

Assad also referred to the “challenge” posed by the “stealing” the waters of the Euphrates, which leads “thirst and hunger” to the inhabitants of both countries. Iraq and Syria blame Ankara for reducing the waters of the river, which originates in Turkey and passes through all three countries.

Sudani, for his part, said it was necessary to have a discussion between the countries through which the river passes, “to ensure the equal distribution” of its waters.

The two leaders also discussed issues concerning the cooperation in the fields of trade, transport and industry.