Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem said on Monday he hoped the Albu Kamal border crossing with neighbouring Iraq would open as soon as possible.

"We look to the interests of both the Syrian and Iraqi people in opening the Albu Kamal crossing," Moualem told reporters at a joint conference with his Iraqi counterpart Ibrahim al-Jaafari, who is visiting Damascus.
Jordan and Syria re-opened the Nassib border crossing on Monday.
The minister said the government's next target after recovering Syria's Idlib from the opposition was the area east of the Euphrates, indicating territory held by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
"After Idlib our target is east of the Euphrates," said Walid al-Moualem, adding that the area, like all parts of Syria, had to return to Syrian sovereignty.