DAMASCUS — Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa met with Iraqi Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani in Damascus on Monday in the first official visit by an Iraqi Kurdish leader since the fall of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.
Barzani arrived with a senior delegation and was received at the People’s Palace. The two leaders discussed bilateral relations, economic cooperation and regional developments, stressing the expansion of coordination between Damascus and the Kurdistan Region, the Syrian state news agency SANA and the Syrian presidency reported.
In a statement posted on X after the meeting, Barzani said the discussions underscored Syria’s role in advancing regional peace and stability. “As neighbours, Syria, Iraq and the Kurdistan Region share many common interests, and there are significant opportunities to enhance economic cooperation for the benefit of our peoples,” he said.
The visit comes as the Syrian government is still negotiating the integration of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into state institutions under an agreement reached earlier this year.
According to the agreement, SDF fighters will be absorbed into the Syrian defence and interior ministries with military units operating under the command of the Syrian army. The implementation is still underway amid political negotiations and security challenges.
Obaida Hitto, Al Jazeera correspondent reporting from Damascus, said talks were expected to focus on Kurdish rights. He said authorities in Erbil have played an important intermediary role in negotiations between Damascus and the SDF recently.
Barzani was also due to meet Kurdish political leaders and officials from the SDF during his visit, Kurdish media reports said.
The future of detention facilities in northeastern Syria, holding thousands of suspected ISIS fighters and tens of thousands of family members from various countries, is also expected to be on the agenda, as is military integration. The running of those facilities is expected to become increasingly the responsibility of the Syrian government.
There was a lot of talk about border security as well. Officials discussed efforts to combat smuggling of weapons and narcotics across the Syria-Iraq border, as well as broader security issues in border areas, including the activities of armed groups operating in the vicinity of northern Iraq.
Barzani has already described the integration agreement as an important step toward the reconstruction of a unified Syria while protecting the rights of Kurds and other communities. Kurdish representatives have continued to seek constitutional safeguards, including protections for language rights and local administration.
Since the signing of the deal, Syrian state institutions have expanded their presence in parts of northeastern Syria, including taking over key infrastructure in Al-Qamishli and increasing the presence of government security forces in some areas.
Barzani and al-Sharaa have met in the past at regional diplomatic gatherings such as the Antalya Diplomacy Forum. Monday’s visit is part of a process to deepen political and diplomatic relations, with Erbil and Damascus engaged for months.
The meeting also comes amid sporadic clashes between Syrian government forces and Kurdish fighters in northeastern Syria, although both sides have reiterated their commitment to implement the integration agreement through dialogue.
