Baghdad, Dec 19 (FN Agency) Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani and Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held a meeting in the Saudi city of AlUla, during which the parties agreed to coordinate actions regarding the events in Syria, the Iraqi prime minister’s office said. “The Iraqi Prime Minister and the Crown Prince agreed at a meeting in AlUla on the importance of coordinating joint actions regarding the consequences of what is happening in Syria and intensifying efforts to counter regional and international challenges in a way that would contribute to strengthening regional security and stability in the entire region,” the office said in a statement on Wednesday. Al-Sudani “reaffirmed Iraq’s desire for the unity of Syrian territories, non-interference in Syria’s internal affairs, respect for the free will of the Syrians and ensuring the participation of all representatives of the Syrian people in the fate of the country,” the statement added.
In addition, Al-Sudani “expressed Iraq’s readiness to cooperate with its brothers and friends in the region for the sake of its stabilization and security, as well as to eliminate any conflicts in the region,” the office said. Syria’s armed opposition captured Damascus on December 8. The Russian Foreign Ministry said that Syrian President Bashar Assad stepped down and left the country for Russia, where he and his family were granted political asylum. Mohammed al-Bashir, who ran an Idlib-based administration formed by HTS and other opposition groups, was named interim prime minister last week. He said that the interim government would govern Syria until March 2025.