ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani on Saturday repeated Damascus’ rejection of “any form of division or federalism,” but said that northeast Syria (Rojava) has “a historic opportunity” to help build the country’s future.
“We reject any form of division and federalism, and this does not require discussion or negotiation,” Shaibani said in an interview with state-run al-Ikhbariya TV.
After talks stalled in the summer, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the interim government in Damascus appear to be making progress toward implementing a March 10 agreement signed by SDF commander Mazloum Abdi and interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa. The deal aims to bring all civil and military institutions in Rojava - including the SDF - under state control.
Last week, Abdi said the two sides had reached “an understanding about the principle of decentralization.” Najeeb Ghadban, an advisor to Foreign Minister Shaibani, told Rudaw earlier this month that Rojava “is pushing for decentralization to be applied across all of Syria,” adding that “there is openness to that idea.”
The Kurdish-led administration has long demanded a decentralized system of governance, a proposal Damascus has resisted. In September, Sharaa said that “separatist ambitions disguised as decentralization” were delaying implementation of the March agreement.
Shaibani said that integrating the SDF into Syria’s institutions is crucial to restoring unity. The Kurdish-led force controls about a third of Syrian territory.
“We succeeded in convincing countries interested in the SDF file that its only solution is the March 10 agreement,” he said, adding that “the absence of Syrian Democratic Forces within state institutions deepens the rift between them and the Syrian state, so we believe partnership must happen as soon as possible.”
He warned that further delay “will have negative repercussions and will obstruct the interests of civilians and the return of displaced people to their areas.”
This is “a historic opportunity for the northeast Syria area to be an active part” of Syria’s future, Shaibani said.
Negotiations between the two sides stalled over disagreements on how to incorporate the SDF’s forces into the national army, leading to periodic clashes in northern Syria in recent weeks. The deadlock appeared to ease after Abdi’s visit to Damascus earlier in October, during which he met with Sharaa.
A delegation from Rojava is expected to travel to the Syrian capital next week to discuss the integration of around 100,000 SDF fighters into the national army.