Syrian leader Ahmad al-Sharaa received Nechirvan Barzani, president of the autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan region, in Damascus for talks on integrating Syrian Kurdish institutions into the central government.
The integration agreement was signed in January, following clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters, but its implementation has been delayed.
Barzani helped broker the deal under United States sponsorship and had met at the time in Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, with Mazloum Abdi, commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces, the Arab-Kurdish coalition that fought the Islamic State group and the regime of Bashar al-Assad. Tuesday's trip marked Barzani's first visit to Damascus since Assad was overthrown in late 2024.
What was discussed
According to the Syrian president's office, the talks focused on strengthening cooperation, particularly in the economic sector, in order to preserve security and stability in a country devastated by years of war.
In a statement issued after the meeting, Barzani said he had expressed his support for a stable and unified Syria in which the rights of all national and religious components would be protected. The two leaders also discussed Syria's role in strengthening peace, security and stability in the region.
A Syrian official source told AFP that Barzani's visit aimed to give momentum to the January 29 agreement and to measures integrating the Syrian Democratic Forces into the government. A diplomatic source did not rule out a possible meeting between Barzani and Abdi.
Background on Kurdish forces
At the height of Syria's civil war, from 2011 to 2024, Syrian Kurds, backed by Western powers, took control of large parts of northern and northeastern Syria and led the fight against Islamic State militants. A year after Assad's overthrow, Kurdish forces withdrew from much of the north under military pressure from Damascus, handing the Qamishli airport and oil fields to the central government. Disagreements between the two sides have delayed the integration of Kurdish forces into the Syrian army. Barzani had welcomed the January signing, saying it would protect Kurdish rights in the future constitution to be drafted by the new parliament.
