ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein discussed during a Saturday phone call with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas Baghdad’s efforts to repatriate individuals linked with the Islamic State (ISIS) from Syria, noting that “the security and financial burdens” are not Iraq’s alone, and urging all concerned countries to share responsibility.

The diplomats discussed bilateral relations between Baghdad and the EU and ways to enhance cooperation in areas of mutual interest, while also exchanging views on developments in Syria, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Iraq, in an effort to help prevent a resurgence of ISIS amid instability in Syria, has transferred 150 ISIS members held at a detention facility in Hasakah to a secure location in Iraq, with US Central Command (CENTCOM) saying the eventual number of transferred detainees could reach up to 7,000.

During the call, the two officials discussed “the fate of ISIS prisoners,” with Kallas expressing her gratitude to Baghdad for the “preliminary acceptance” to receive the detained militants.

Hussein stressed that “the security and financial burdens resulting from the process should not be borne by Iraq alone,” noting that the responsibility for dealing with it falls on “all concerned countries.”

The Syrian Arab Army has waged a violent campaign on areas held by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) since early January, with Damascus-linked factions rapidly advancing toward Rojava (northeast Syria) despite several fragile ceasefires.

Factions affiliated with the Syrian government have taken control of the al-Shaddadi prison and al-Hol camp in Hasakah, as well as al-Aqtan prison in Raqqa. The three sites house tens of thousands of ISIS members and their families, raising concerns about a potential reemergence of the terror group amid the instability.

Kallas and Hussein discussed the reports about the escape of a number of ISIS members from the facilities in Syria, emphasizing the need for a “sustainable ceasefire” between the SDF and the Syria government, while stressing the importance of “Europe playing an active role” in supporting negotiations between the Rojava and the Damascus.