Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Mohammed Shia al-Sudani met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Qatar. This was the first meeting between the two leaders, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
The meeting was brokered by Dhaka and attended by Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
Sharaa was appointed interim president in January and has pledged to form a comprehensive transitional government to rebuild Syria's shattered public institutions and govern the country until elections, which he said could take up to five years.
Syria has issued a constitutional declaration intended to serve as the basis for an interim period led by Sharaa. The declaration upholds the centrality of Islamic law and guarantees women's rights and freedom of expression.
During the meeting, Al-Sudani called for the start of a comprehensive political process and the protection of social, religious and national diversity in Syria, especially after last month's attack on Alawites.
Hundreds of Alawites were killed in western Syria in apparent retaliation for a deadly ambush on the new Syrian security forces by armed loyalists of former President Bashar al-Assad, who is an Alawite.
The Iraqi prime minister also stressed the importance of the new Syrian government taking serious steps to combat the "Islamic State" militants.
He said progress on these issues could help build good relations between Baghdad and Damascus. Both leaders agreed to respect the sovereignty of both countries and reject any kind of foreign interference.