Iraq Seeks to Ease Tensions ahead of PM’s Meeting with Biden 

Iraqi Kurdistan Region President Nechervan Barzani (right), Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani (center) and former Kurdish President Masoud Barzani. (AFP file photo) 
Iraqi Kurdistan Region President Nechervan Barzani (right), Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani (center) and former Kurdish President Masoud Barzani. (AFP file photo) 
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Iraq Seeks to Ease Tensions ahead of PM’s Meeting with Biden 

Iraqi Kurdistan Region President Nechervan Barzani (right), Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani (center) and former Kurdish President Masoud Barzani. (AFP file photo) 
Iraqi Kurdistan Region President Nechervan Barzani (right), Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani (center) and former Kurdish President Masoud Barzani. (AFP file photo) 

The State Administration Coalition in Iraq announced its complete support to Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani's upcoming visit to the United States where he will meet with President Joe Biden.

Sudani sponsored the coalition’s meeting that was held at the government palace and attended by Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish political leaders. The meeting was also notably attended by a prominent leader of the armed factions, Abu Alaa al-Walae, demonstrating that the truce between the government and groups remains in place.

Sudani is set to discuss several key issues related to Iraq’s ties with the US that have been nothing short of tumultuous since the US invasion 21 years ago.

The PM is seeking to resolve internal disputes so that he can dedicate himself to facing the Americans, who are banking on these disputes to continue to maintain influence in Iraq.

An informed Iraqi source told Asharq Al-Awsat that officials at the State Administration Coalition meeting held frank discussions over the future of relations between Iraq and Washington and the US-led anti-ISIS coalition.

The meeting clearly backed Sudani’s visit to the US and focused on security and relations between Baghdad and Washington whereby the state would be allowed to impose its control over all aspects of the country.

Sudani is hoping that his visit will be more successful than those carried out by previous PMs, who had headed to the US with various agendas and goals.

His predecessor Mustafa al-Kadhimi had paid two visits to the US during his relatively short two-and-a-half-year tenure.

Separately, Kurdish forces expressed their support to the outcomes of the visit carried out by Iraqi Kurdistan Region President Nechervan Barzani to Baghdad.

Barzani met with several senior officials, including Sudani.

Iraqi President Abdullatif Rashid stressed on Monday the need for cooperation between the Baghdad and Erbil governments so that they can overcome all disputes.

He also underlined the need for parliamentary elections to be held in Kurdistan.

Barzani and his accompanying delegation met with members of the pro-Iran Shiite Coordination Framework and the State Administration Coalition.



Arab League Delegation to Visit Syria Next Week

Arab League headquarters in Cairo (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Arab League headquarters in Cairo (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Arab League Delegation to Visit Syria Next Week

Arab League headquarters in Cairo (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Arab League headquarters in Cairo (Asharq Al-Awsat)

A delegation from the Arab League is set to visit Damascus next week, the league’s assistant secretary-general, Ambassador Hossam Zaki, told Asharq Al-Awsat.
Zaki, who will head the delegation, said preparations are ongoing to finalize the visit’s agenda. The trip will include meetings with various Syrian parties, as well as discussions with the new administration led by Ahmed Al-Sharaa.
Earlier this month, Asharq Al-Awsat quoted an informed Arab diplomatic source as saying that the Arab League was intending to dispatch a delegation to Damascus to “open communication channels with the new authorities and understand their perspective.”
The league has been planning this visit for some time, coordinating with the new Syrian administration to ensure it moves forward smoothly. According to Zaki, the visit aims to “compile a report for Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit and member states about the changes in Syria.”
While some Arab nations have already engaged with the new Syrian leadership, Zaki noted that many of the League’s 22 member states have yet to do so.
He explained that the visit will provide these countries with an updated understanding of developments in Syria and give the Syrian administration an opportunity to present its vision for the future.
Last Sunday, Riyadh hosted a ministerial meeting involving Arab and Western officials to discuss Syria. The meeting included the Secretary-General of the Arab League, the Secretary-General of the GCC, and foreign ministers from Egypt, Syria, Qatar, the UAE, Jordan, Oman, Lebanon, and Bahrain, as well as representatives from Western countries.
When asked whether the outcomes of the Riyadh meeting would influence the Arab League’s visit to Damascus, Zaki emphasized that while the Riyadh meeting’s results are significant, they will not change the visit’s main objective: to assess the situation on the ground in Syria, consult with various parties, and prepare a detailed report for member states.
The Arab Ministerial Contact Group on Syria convened in Aqaba, Jordan, on December 14, 2024, where it reaffirmed its support for the Syrian people during the transitional phase.
Syrian political writer and researcher Ghassan Youssef described the league’s visit to Damascus as a “mission focused on familiarization, fact-finding, and public relations.”
Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Youssef said: “Syria is in a transitional phase, and the new administration must be engaged.” He added that the planned National Dialogue Conference in Damascus and upcoming elections could bolster the legitimacy of the country’s new leadership and encourage deeper Arab and Western engagement.
In May 2023, the Council of Arab Foreign Ministers held an emergency meeting in Cairo, reinstating Syria’s membership in the Arab League. This decision ended a suspension imposed in November 2011.