Damascus, SDF to form committees to monitor integration deal

DAMASCUS

The Syrian government and the YPG-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have agreed to establish subcommittees to follow up on the agreement signed on March 10, also reaching consensus on several other critical matters.

A member of the committee told the Syrian state news agency SANA that the meeting in Damascus was held in a "positive atmosphere," characterized by a sense of responsibility and shared concern for national interests.

On March 10, Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa and Mazloum Abdi, the commander of the SDF, which controls the country’s northeast, signed an agreement on the integration of the latter into the state apparatus. However, little progress had been made on the ground since then.

As part of efforts, an SDF delegation traveled to Damascus for talks. According to a joint press statement, expert-level subcommittees will be formed to monitor the implementation of the agreement.

Issues related to national exams in the SDF-held areas will be addressed to safeguard students’ rights and the integrity of the educational process, the statement noted.

The parties also agreed to work together to facilitate the return of displaced people and eliminate the factors hindering their reintegration.

Furthermore, both sides agreed to reactivate a previous arrangement concerning the al-Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhoods in Aleppo and to tackle related challenges in order to enhance stability and civil peace.

Another round of meetings has been scheduled in the near future to follow up on the implementation of the agreed measures.

In May, SDF announced that it had reached an agreement with the Damascus government to evacuate Syrian citizens from a sprawling desert camp housing tens of thousands of individuals with alleged ties to the ISIL terrorist group.