Iraq’s KRG president meets Syria’s al-Sharaa in first Damascus visit since Assad’s fall
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- Nechirvan Barzani meets Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus during his first visit to Syria since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's government.
Nechirvan Barzani, president of Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), met Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus on Monday during his first visit to Syria since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government.
According to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), al-Sharaa received Barzani at the People’s Palace in the Syrian capital. Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani also attended the meeting.
In a statement published on Telegram, the Syrian presidency said the two leaders discussed bilateral relations and ways to strengthen cooperation and coordination, with a particular focus on economic ties.
The talks also covered the latest regional developments and several issues of mutual interest, including enhancing security cooperation and coordination, the statement said.
Barzani’s visit comes as Syria’s new leadership seeks to expand regional engagement following the collapse of Assad’s government and to deepen ties with neighboring Iraq, including the autonomous Kurdistan Region.
Monday’s meeting was the latest in a series of encounters between Barzani and al-Sharaa. The two leaders first met on April 11, 2025, on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Türkiye, and held a second meeting during the forum’s fifth edition on April 17, 2026.
