In a situation where tensions between Kurdish forces and the interim government in Damascus are growing in Syria, a Syrian government delegation arrived in Moscow on Tuesday. Referring to the Syrian agency SANA, the AFP agency reported about it, writes TASR.
- The Syrian delegation discussed issues of common interest in Moscow.
- The topic of the negotiations was the agreement on the integration of the Kurdish SDF.
- Damascus perceives the non-fulfillment of the agreement by the SDF.
- Kurdish forces administered the autonomous regions during the civil war.
- Russia supported the former government of Bashar al-Assad in the conflict.
According to the SANA agency, Syrian Foreign Minister Asad Shaibani and Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Kasra should discuss issues of common interest with Russian officials.
Agreement with the SDF
According to the sources of the Syrian Ministry of Defense, the topic of negotiations is also to be an agreement on the integration of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into state institutions. Šajbání already talked about this topic with his Turkish colleague Hakan Fidan on Monday.
The unnamed sources specified that the Syrian delegation’s visit to Moscow aims to highlight what Damascus perceives as the SDF’s failure to fulfill this agreement.
Struggles for autonomy
During the civil war in Syria, Kurdish forces took control of large areas in the north of the country, where they established a Kurdish self-government. Their armed wing, the SDF, fought alongside the US-led international coalition against the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group.
The aforementioned March agreement envisages the integration of civil and military institutions in northeastern Syria into the state system, thus ending the autonomous administration there. However, so far no concrete steps have been taken in this matter and both sides accuse each other of delaying the implementation of the agreement.
Interpretation of the agreement
While Damascus says the deadline for implementation expires at the end of the year, the Kurdish self-government has a more flexible interpretation, declaring that the agreement sets a general time frame rather than a binding deadline.
Russia, which supported the former government of Bashar al-Assad during the civil war, continues to maintain its military bases in Syria. Since Assad’s fall in late 2024, there have been several meetings between Russian and Syrian officials.
Kurds and discrimination
DPA recalled that the Kurds, one of the largest minorities in Syria, faced discrimination under the rule of the Assad clan and now fear a return to these practices.
Turkey considers the Kurdish militia the People’s Self-Defense Forces (YPG) – the main component of the SDF – to be an offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and designates them as a terrorist organization.
