Iraq sends delegation to Damascus to study restoring oil pipeline via Syria

A general view shows pipelines in the newly opened section of the oil refinery of Zubair, southwest of Basra in southern Iraq, on March 3, 2016 [HAIDAR MOHAMMED ALI/AFP via Getty Images]

Iraq sent a delegation to Damascus on Friday to study the possibility of restoring an Iraqi oil pipeline that transports oil through Syria to Mediterranean ports, the Prime Minister’s office said, Reuters reports.

The Iraqi delegation, led by the head of the National Intelligence Service, is also set to discuss counter-terrorism cooperation, border security and ways to expand trade between the two countries, the office added.

Iraqi Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, held talks with Syria’s President, Ahmed Al-Sharaa, in Qatar this month, marking their first meeting since the ousting of former President Bashar Al-Assad in December, after more than 13 years of civil war.

Syria is facing a severe energy crisis after the collapse of its oil industry during civil war and is now turning to local intermediaries for oil imports.

Its efforts to secure oil through public tenders have been largely unsuccessful owing to international sanctions and financial risks.

READ: US diplomat outlines conditions for Syria sanctions relief

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