ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Talks with Damascus about integrating the institutions of northeast Syria (Rojava) into state structures are progressing but need to expand beyond the current focus on security, said a member of Rojava’s negotiating team.

“There will be meetings next week to discuss the details of the integration between Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Ministry of Defense,” Sanharib Barsom, president of the Syriac Union Party, told Rudaw on Friday.

The most recent meetings with Damascus “constituted a step forward,” he said, adding that both sides agreed to continue their discussions with the goal of reaching an agreement by the end of the year.

A delegation from Rojava is scheduled to head to Damascus next week to discuss the integration of 100,000 SDF soldiers into the Syrian army.

The talks are about implementing a March 10 deal signed between SDF chief Mazloum Abdi and Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa to bring all civil and military institutions in Rojava - including the SDF - under state control and to establish a nationwide ceasefire.

Negotiations stalled in the summer as both sides disagreed on how to incorporate the SDF into the national army. There have been numerous clashes between them in northern Syria over the past month. The stalemate appears to have been broken when Abdi visited Damascus to meet with Sharaa last week.

Barsom said it is time to expand the talks beyond the security file. He explained that the Rojava administration has formed specialized committees to discuss issues of economy, education, border crossings, airports, and the interim constitution. “These committees are ready for dialogue, but Damascus has so far only activated the security and military committees,” he said.

“Success at this stage depends on moving from security files to service and constitutional ones, in a way that strengthens the principle of national partnership and ensures genuine representation for all Syrian components in the country’s future,” he added.

Kurds in Rojava, like other minorities in Syria, are concerned about the centralization of power and reliance on Islamic jurisprudence in the transitional constitution that has been adopted by the interim government in Damascus.

Barsom pointed out that the Syriac Military Council, which is part of the SDF, is participating in the negotiations as part of Rojava’s delegation and said that “any understanding that includes the SDF or the Internal Security Forces (Asayish) will have a positive impact on the stability of the region and all its components.”

“As the Syriac component, we believe in peaceful and political solutions, and we seek understandings with the Syrian government that ensure the protection of our areas and our national, religious, and individual rights, away from any military confrontation or conflict,” Barsom added.

The main political opposition in Rojava, the Kurdish National Council in Syria (ENKS), said that they have not been consulted about the integration negotiations or the 5,000-strong Roj Peshmerga - a Syrian Kurdish force trained by the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) in the Kurdistan Region.

“Unfortunately we do not see coordination in the matter. This has a negative impact on the political situation in Rojava,” said Mehabad Tizyani, the head of ENKS branch in Damascus.

“I believe it is time now that we work together,” he said. “There will be three battalions established in which the SDF will integrate. No doubt, we would like to reach an agreement with either party.”

The Kurdish-led and US-backed SDF played a pivotal role in the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria, contributing significantly to the group’s territorial defeat in 2019. It continues to serve as the de facto military force in Rojava.