Iraqi and Syrian leaders meet in Qatar, marking a significant first encounter

FILE PHOTO: Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani looks on before a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in New York City U.S. September 23, 2024. BRYAN R. SMITH/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

CAIRO (Reuters) - Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani met on Thursday in Qatar with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, the first encounter between the two leaders, Iraqi and Syrian state news agencies reported.

The meeting was brokered by Qatar, with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani present. It came ahead of Sharaa's expected attendance at the Arab Summit in Baghdad on May 17.