Syria and Iraq Discuss Ways to Boost Energy Cooperation

ARK News.. The Syrian Minister of Energy held a meeting in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, with Iraq’s Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Affairs and Minister of Oil, Eng. Hayan Abdul Ghani al-Sawad, to discuss ways of enhancing energy cooperation between the two countries.

During the meeting, Syrian Energy Minister Mohammed al-Bashir reviewed the state of Syria’s energy sector, noting that the country imports around three million barrels of crude oil per month in addition to domestic production to meet citizens’ needs for petroleum products.

Al-Bashir stressed the importance of linking oil pipelines between Syria and Iraq to strengthen economic cooperation, pointing out that the old Kirkuk–Baniyas oil pipeline has reached the end of its service life and requires a full assessment.

For his part, the Iraqi oil minister expressed his country’s interest in reactivating the Syria–Iraq oil pipeline and proposed bringing in a specialized entity to evaluate the current situation, including the possibility of rehabilitating the old line or constructing a new one. He noted that recent regional events could affect Iraq’s oil exports, making the search for alternative outlets essential.

The two sides agreed to assign joint technical and advisory teams to assess the current situation and form a main committee to manage direct coordination of cooperation projects.

At the conclusion of the meeting, both parties emphasized the importance of strengthening bilateral cooperation in the energy sector in ways that serve the interests of both peoples and contribute to regional stability.

Minister al-Bashir and his accompanying delegation had arrived in Baghdad the previous day to explore prospects for joint cooperation in the oil sector and discuss ways to rehabilitate and maintain the Kirkuk–Baniyas pipeline.

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