Syria, Iraq to Open Checkpoints as Border Areas Become Secure
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Syrian Transport Minister Ali Hammoud said his country is ready to open checkpoints on the border with Iraq, as it sees no security threats.
Hammoud told Russia’s Sputnik news agency in an interview that Syria is waiting for the neighboring state to solve logistics issues so that the two countries could open checkpoints on the border which have been closed since 2014 due to Daesh (ISIL or ISIS) terrorists’ threats.
Damascus and Baghdad discussed the issue of opening the border in October.
"During the last visit of Iraqi Foreign Minister (Ibrahim Jaafari) to Syria, one of the main topics discussed was opening the border. The Iraqi side promised that it would be done soon. We are ready as soon as logistics issues are solved on the Iraqi side," the minister said.
Since 2011, Syria has been fighting against numerous opposition groups and terrorist organizations, whose members flee to the neighboring states as the government forces regain control of the Syrian territory.
