Barzani meets Sharaa for talks on SDF accord

DAMASCUS

Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa met on Aug. 3 with Nechirvan Barzani, leader of Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish region, as official sources told AFP the talks aimed to advance an integration deal between Damascus and Syria’s Kurds.

Syrian state news agency SANA said Sharaa received Barzani at the presidential palace in Damascus, in the first visit by the head of Iraq’s Kurdish region following the December 2024 ouster of longtime Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad.

After clashes between forces led by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the new authorities in January this year, the two sides reached a deal to integrate Syrian Kurdish institutions and forces into the state.

During the fighting, Barzani met SDF head Mazloum Abdi in Erbil in a U.S.-backed meeting.

Sharaa’s office said he and Barzani discussed “strengthening cooperation and coordination, especially economic... in a way that contributes to supporting security and stability.”

Barzani, meanwhile, said in a statement that he affirmed his “support for a stable and united Syria, where the rights of all ethnic and religious communities are protected.”

He added that they discussed “the importance of Syria playing a constructive role in advancing regional peace and security.”