Demonstrations against the decision to raise fuel prices in Syria expanded yesterday, Monday, for the second day in a row, as the city of Al-Shuhail in the Deir ez-Zor countryside (east) witnessed renewed protests during which tires were set on fire. Protesters also blocked the international road between Iraq and Syria in the Al-Bukamal countryside, east of the governorate, as well as the road to the Al-Omar oil field.
The people of Tal Tamr closed the M4 international road, halting the movement of hundreds of oil tankers. The Bab al-Salama crossing with Türkiye in Aleppo Governorate witnessed protesters closing the crossing in front of goods trucks and completely preventing the movement of cars from exiting.
The renewed protests also included the city of Raqqa, as civilians blocked the road in front of the grain silos headquarters. Residents gathered in areas in Al-Hasakah Governorate (north), including Al-Shaddadi and Tal Barak, burning tires and blocking roads, amid demands to reverse the decision issued by the Minister of Energy, which the People’s Assembly asked for a hearing next Thursday.
Observers believe that the protests came as a result of the lack of improvement in the living situation of Syrians and what they hoped would be achieved by the new authorities after the overthrow of the Assad regime, especially since the majority of the protesters are considered to be members of the social incubator of the government of President Ahmed Al-Sharaa.
A short but busy visit by Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, accompanied by a large official delegation, to Paris, his first European stop since assuming the premiership, while Berlin will be his second stop before his return to Baghdad. The joint statement distributed by the Elysee Palace on Monday afternoon reflected the wide range of issues discussed by the two parties, at the level of President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, but also at the ministerial level between the two sides and with French companies, including Total Energies, which seeks to expand its presence in Iraq.
The Iraqi Prime Minister said, in an article published by Le Figaro newspaper on Monday afternoon, that his country represents the fourth proven oil reserve in the world, with an estimated 145 billion barrels. In the same article, Al-Zaidi presented his vision for the new relations that he wants his country to build with France, in which “Iraq will be an active partner, not a country that comes loaded with a list of demands or searches for a political umbrella.” In his view, his visit “acquires additional importance in view of its timing,” but also because it comes “at a stage in which a great deal of uncertainty prevails in the Middle East, where there has become an urgent need for regional, European and international efforts to contain tensions and restore calm to the region.”
In Al-Zaidi’s view, the importance of the visit “goes beyond the boundaries of bilateral relations between Iraq and France; “It allows Iraq to expand its circle of partnerships and involvement in Europe, and enhance its role in the collective efforts aimed at establishing stability in the region.”
According to the joint statement, the ultimate purpose of the visit lies in “strengthening the strategic partnership and friendly relations between France and Iraq.”
The statement consists of twenty paragraphs dealing with everything that happened during the visit, including the agreements, declarations of intent, and understandings that were detailed in a separate statement issued by the French presidency, including six agreements signed in the presence of Macron and Al-Zaidi. The note was the reference to the “shared vision” of the two parties on how to deal with crises in the Middle East and how to enhance security and stability there “on the basis of respect for national sovereignty, non-interference, good neighbourliness, territorial integrity, respect for international law, and resorting to diplomatic solutions to deal with the crises and common threats facing the region.” The paragraph contains an allusion to the ongoing war between the United States and Iran, and the view of both parties that ending it must pass through diplomatic solutions.
While the joint statement included Macron’s praise of “the balanced foreign policy pursued by Iraq,” and “the role played by this country in establishing ties, promoting dialogue, and encouraging regional cooperation,” Al-Zaidi was keen in his article to present Iraq as a “platform for dialogue,” adding that it “will not allow its lands to be transformed into a base for launching threats against neighboring countries, or into an arena for confrontation between regional and international powers.” According to what he said, Iraq “is ready to host direct dialogues between the parties to the conflict whenever the necessary political will is available.”
The security file is one of the most important files discussed at the Elysee meeting. The joint statement stated, “In view of the positive role that France plays within the (International Coalition), the President of the French Republic and the Iraqi Prime Minister agreed to continue and deepen military cooperation, especially strengthening Iraqi capabilities, with the aim of protecting the borders and supporting Iraq’s sovereignty over its lands, within a bilateral framework that respects the sovereignty of the two countries, and it will be agreed upon later, after the end of the (International Coalition) mission.”
This understanding falls within the framework of the two countries’ desire to strengthen their relations based on the “bilateral strategic partnership treaty signed in 2023,” which France has already ratified, while Iraq is “intent to ratify it soon.” The importance of the security aspect is highlighted by the two parties reaching a “strategic road map for Iraq’s acquisition of French military equipment as part of its endeavor to rebuild and modernize its military capabilities.” The two parties also signed a “letter of intent” regarding “autonomous air defense systems” between the Iraqi Ministry of Defense and the French company “Harmattan AI.” Paris sees these two elements as “confirmation of the desire of both parties to continue their cooperation in the field of enhancing military capabilities and supporting Iraq for its sovereign missions.” One of the paragraphs of the joint statement stated that Al-Zaidi expressed his intention to “encourage discussions between French companies and the Iraqi Ministry of Defense in the areas of air traffic, artillery systems, counter-drone systems (C-UAS), and defense and air surveillance systems.”
The above reflects an Iraqi tendency to diversify its armament sources, and Paris is an appropriate entry point for this purpose. If it is true that it seeks to strengthen a multifaceted presence (politically, diplomatic, cultural, and health) in Iraq, it pays special attention to two main sectors: defense on the one hand, and energy on the other hand.
As in the defense sector, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity and the Total Energies group to supply Iraq with liquefied natural gas. In this context, Ali Al-Zaidi received the head of the French oil company, Patrick Pouyanné. The two parties also signed a memorandum of understanding regarding a program to rehabilitate and enhance Iraqi capabilities in the energy sector. However, France's oil and gas ambitions in Iraq go further than that. It was stated in the joint statement that Iraq agreed with Total Energies to enter into discussions regarding a number of energy projects “based on large-scale investments and aiming to enhance Iraqi oil production, contribute to increasing energy efficiency, enhance energy sovereignty, and support the energy transition” in Iraq. At a time when the world is suffering from a severe energy crisis, an agreement with a country that possesses large oil reserves is a very important achievement for France.
On Monday, the Syrian People's Assembly resumed its third session by listening to the Minister of Education, Muhammad Turko, and answering members' questions related to the education file, as was scheduled. Turko said that his ministry has two plans: An emergency plan to secure education for every child in Syria, and a strategic plan to develop the education system.
The minister pointed out that before the liberation, the number of students was 4 million and 300 thousand, and last year the number reached 5 million and 300 thousand students, expecting the number of students this year to reach 6 million. He attributed the increase to the return of refugees and the return of dropouts to schools.
The education sector faces complex challenges, linked to the specificity of each Syrian region, according to what was revealed by the interventions of council members. While teachers in Latakia suffer from poor distribution of the teaching staff, Raqqa suffers from the absence of school equipment and textbooks, while Al-Hasakah suffers from problems resulting from integration, and Deir ez-Zor has complete destruction of the school infrastructure.
In other regions, there is suffering from school dropout and inability to accommodate in schools, and the number of dropouts is estimated at two million students, for economic and social reasons, in addition to the lack of schools in a number of regions, according to the minister.
During the current year, 134 schools were opened in Aleppo, 50 schools in Idlib, and we are preparing to open 37 schools in Hama. 3,857 schools were also renovated, and 704 schools are currently being renovated, and this year 212 new schools were introduced into the educational system.
In another matter, the popular protests against raising fuel prices in Syria imposed themselves on the third session of the special session of the People’s Assembly, and more than fifty members asked the Council’s presidency to listen to the Minister of Energy to clarify the rationale for the decision to raise fuel prices. The Council announced, on Monday, that it had agreed to hold a hearing for the Minister of Energy next Thursday.
Under pressure from the sharp criticism directed at the government, the Energy Committee in the People’s Assembly held a meeting on Sunday, and concluded by requesting a hearing from the Minister of Energy to discuss the new petroleum derivatives price bulletin and the circumstances and repercussions that accompanied it. This is based on Article (30) of the Constitutional Declaration, and in accordance with the provisions of Article (168) of the People’s Assembly’s internal regulations.
The Ministry of Energy had confirmed that the rise in the prices of petroleum derivatives in Syria was “temporary”, to ensure the continuity of supplies and the availability of the material in the local market, explaining that the rise was due to the rise in the cost of shipping and insurance globally due to regional events, coinciding with the overhaul of the Baniyas and Homs refineries.
On Sunday, the work of the Syrian People’s Assembly began with discussing the resignation request of the appointed representative from Latakia, Mudar Hamdan. Deputy Chairman of the Diplomatic Affairs Committee, Nawar Najma, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Council agreed to the resignation, with reservations about the sentences and vocabulary included in the resignation request, and the Council’s budget was also discussed.
The representative of Latakia, Mudar Hamdan, submitted his resignation request last August, after a widespread wave of dissatisfaction sparked by his appointment as part of the President of the Republic’s quota. This is because he was accused of glorifying the previous regime and opposing the Syrian revolution.
The Council was expected to discuss three draft laws related to the Terrorism Court and the rulings issued by it, which were referred by the Presidency of the Republic, according to the agenda of the third session, but the three draft laws were referred to the competent committee for scrutiny. According to Nawar Najma.
The draft laws include abolishing a law during the era of the previous regime, which was the establishment of a court specialized in terrorism cases No. 22 of 2012, and proposing that the Supreme Judicial Council undertake the cancellation of the effects of the rulings issued by the Court of Terrorism Cases, including the return of property confiscated pursuant to it, while preserving the cases existing before it or referring them to the competent judicial authority, as the case may be.
Among the projects awaiting discussion is a draft law to exempt people who recovered their money that had previously been confiscated pursuant to judicial rulings issued by terrorism courts and military courts, from 2011 until the overthrow of the previous regime in 2024, from taxes, fees, and costs resulting from the process of transferring ownership back to them.
This is in addition to the draft amendment to Article 1 of Law No. 20 of 2012, relating to the dismissal and deprivation of every worker of his retirement rights if he is proven guilty by a judicial ruling of any terrorist act. It is proposed to maintain the penalty of dismissal in the event of a final judicial ruling of conviction, while deleting the text related to depriving the convict of his retirement rights, in addition to canceling Articles Two and Three of the law.
In addition to the main session, the People's Assembly Office held the first meeting with the heads of the standing committees in the Council, in the presence of the heads of the twenty-five; To discuss the mechanisms of parliamentary work and organize the tasks of the committees during the next stage. A schedule and work mechanism were agreed upon, and the process of receiving draft laws and proposals, studying them, discussing them, and referring them to the Council was organized in accordance with the approved procedures.
