HALABJA, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani on Thursday conducted a surprise visit to Doha, during which he met Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa for the first time, an official source close to the premier told The New Region.

“The tripartite meeting came as a result of the rapidly evolving events in the region, particularly those taking place in Syria,” the source revealed.

The Syrian president accompanied by Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani had visited Qatar on Tuesday, where they were received by the Qatari Emir in Doha’s Hamad International Airport.

During the Thursday meeting, Sudani stressed that Iraq is “closely monitoring” the situation in Syria and the military presence of the “usurping [Israeli] entity” on the Iraqi neighbor’s soil.

Sudani earlier in April held a phone call with Sharaa, during which he congratulated the Syrian president on the formation of the country’s new cabinet, reiterated Iraq’s “steadfast” position in supporting “the choices of the brotherly Syrian people,” and stressed the importance of an inclusive political process.

The meeting comes a day after Sudani on Wednesday said that an official invitation has been extended to Sharaa to participate in the upcoming Arab League Summit, set to take place in Baghdad next month.

Sudani also said during the forum that Iraq is “closely monitoring” Islamic State (ISIS) activity in Syria and “continuously evaluating” the threats that the extremist group poses. 

“The importance of the new Syrian government taking practical and serious steps to combat the terrorist organization ISIS” was another area of discussion during the high-profile meeting. 

This is especially important in light of the threat that camps holding ISIS members and empathizers in Syria’s northeastern regions – most notably al-Hol, pose to Iraq. 

The pair stressed "the need to respect the sovereignty and independence of the two countries and reject all forms of foreign interference, affirming that the security and stability of Syria and Iraq constitute the cornerstone of the security of the region as a whole," read a statement by the Syrian presidency.

The presidency statement added that the officials discussed the issue of joint border security, and agreed to "enhance field and intelligence coordination between the concerned authorities in the two countries, with the aim of combating common threats.”

Sudani renewed Iraq’s call for “a comprehensive political process and the protection of social, religious, and national diversity in Syria,” as well as the protection of “respect for human rights, particularly after the events that occurred with the Alawite sect there,” the Iraqi official told The New Region.

Violent clashes broke out in early March between Syrian security forces and loyalists of ousted former President Bashar al-Assad along the western coast of the country after 16 security personnel were killed in an ambush by pro-Assad militants, prompting a retaliatory response from the security forces, killing over 1,700 civilians accused of siding with the insurgents, including women and children, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).