ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A Syrian government delegation is set to arrive in Baghdad on Saturday night to thank Iraq for helping extinguish wildfires that raged for days across Syria's western coastal region, an official from the Iraqi embassy in Damascus confirmed to Rudaw.
The Syrian government delegation, headed by the Syrian Deputy Minister of Emergency Situations, Munir Mustafa, is scheduled to arrive in Baghdad on Saturday night, Chargé d'Affaires at the Embassy of Iraq in Damascus, Yassin Sharif al-Hujaimi, told Rudaw.
Hujaimi said the visit aims to "thank the Iraqi government for the efforts made by the Iraqi Civil Defense teams in extinguishing the fires in the Syrian coastal regions, and to convey the greetings of the Syrian government to its Iraqi counterpart."
High temperatures, strong winds, and tall, rugged mountains in the forests of Latakia, coupled with the presence of unexploded war ordnance, vastly complicated firefighting efforts as civil defense teams and volunteers scrambled to contain the flames.
Iraq sent 20 firefighters, water tanks and necessary equipment to support efforts to control wildfires that swept across Syria’s coastal region for many days last month, joining crews from other neighboring countries including Jordan, Turkey, and Lebanon.
At the time, authorities in Damascus welcomed Iraq's stance and its rapid response.
The visit "will last for three days," according to Hujaimi, adding it will include bilateral meetings between Mustafa and Iraqi Minister of Interior Abdul Amir al-Shammari.
The Syrian delegation is scheduled to visit the Iraqi Civil Defense Directorate to "learn about Iraqi expertise in firefighting, as well as inspect the tools, materials, and vehicles used by the Directorate. This will then lead to a discussion of ways to further bilateral cooperation between the two countries regarding future plans in related fields," according to Hujaimi.
On August 17, Syrian Emergency Minister Raed al-Saleh announced that the forest fires in the Latakia and western Hama countryside had been brought under control.
Hujaimi said the visit aims to "thank the Iraqi government for the efforts made by the Iraqi Civil Defense teams in extinguishing the fires in the Syrian coastal regions, and to convey the greetings of the Syrian government to its Iraqi counterpart."
High temperatures, strong winds, and tall, rugged mountains in the forests of Latakia, coupled with the presence of unexploded war ordnance, vastly complicated firefighting efforts as civil defense teams and volunteers scrambled to contain the flames.
Iraq sent 20 firefighters, water tanks and necessary equipment to support efforts to control wildfires that swept across Syria’s coastal region for many days last month, joining crews from other neighboring countries including Jordan, Turkey, and Lebanon.
At the time, authorities in Damascus welcomed Iraq's stance and its rapid response.
The visit "will last for three days," according to Hujaimi, adding it will include bilateral meetings between Mustafa and Iraqi Minister of Interior Abdul Amir al-Shammari.
The Syrian delegation is scheduled to visit the Iraqi Civil Defense Directorate to "learn about Iraqi expertise in firefighting, as well as inspect the tools, materials, and vehicles used by the Directorate. This will then lead to a discussion of ways to further bilateral cooperation between the two countries regarding future plans in related fields," according to Hujaimi.
On August 17, Syrian Emergency Minister Raed al-Saleh announced that the forest fires in the Latakia and western Hama countryside had been brought under control.
