Syrian Leader Met with Iraqi Prime Minister in Qatar Earlier This Week

It was reported Thursday that Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa held a private meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Al-Sudani during his visit to Qatar on Tuesday.

The meeting, which was not publicly announced by either government, was first reported by the Iraqi News Agency (INA), citing unnamed officials. Al-Sharaa arrived in Qatar on Tuesday with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and met with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

Later that day, Prime Minister Al-Sudani reportedly made a brief visit to Qatar, where he joined the meeting—mediated by the Qatari Emir.

According to INA, during the discussions, Al-Sudani urged Al-Sharaa to implement protections for religious and ethnic minorities in Syria and to take stronger action against the Islamic State (IS).

Al-Sudani was one of the few Arab leaders who did not publicly congratulate Al-Sharaa after his appointment as Syria’s President in late January. However, the two did speak earlier this month by phone, during which Al-Sudani invited Al-Sharaa to attend the 34th Arab League Summit, scheduled for May 17 in Baghdad.

Al-Shaibani previously visited Baghdad in March, where he held talks with his Iraqi counterpart.

This meeting may signal Baghdad’s cautious yet pragmatic approach to engaging with Syria. Al-Sharaa—formerly known as Abu Mohammad Al-Jolani—fought as a member of Al-Qaeda in Iraq during the 2000s and had close ties with IS founder Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. With Al-Sharaa and several other former Al-Qaeda figures now part of Syria’s leadership, building trust between Baghdad and Damascus may prove to be a complex and delicate process.