Syrian president, SDF head discuss advancing integration into state institutions

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa and Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) head Mazloum Abdi discussed advancing the implementation of an agreement on integrating the group into state institutions during a meeting in Damascus on Tuesday.

Sharaa received Abdi at the People’s Palace in the presence of Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and Deir ez-Zor Governor Ziad al-Ayyash, according the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).

The two sides reviewed progress in implementing the Jan. 29 agreement between the Syrian government and the SDF and discussed the next steps in the integration process within Syria’s state institutions, SANA said.

No further details were provided about the outcome of the meeting.

On Jan. 29, the Syrian government announced that it had reached a “comprehensive agreement” with the SDF aimed at ending division in the country and launching a new phase of integration. It said the deal covering the cities of Hasakah and Qamishli and the integration of military forces complements a previous agreement signed on Jan. 18.