No results yet from Damascus meeting with Mazloum Abdi

The government source added that the two sides agreed to hold further meetings at a later date.

The SDF announced the conclusion of the meeting held in Damascus, Syria’s capital, which brought a delegation from its leadership, accompanied by Abdi, together with officials from the Syrian government.

Talks between the two sides focused on the military integration process, the SDF said.

The SDF had said earlier that Mazloum Abdi began his meeting in the Syrian capital with government officials, alongside a delegation from his forces.

The delegation accompanying Abdi included two members of the SDF’s General Command, Sozdar Derik and Sipan Hamo.

Military integration

Abu Omar al-Idlibi, commander of the Northern Democratic Brigade, which operates under the SDF umbrella, said before the meeting concluded that an agreement would be signed to integrate the Syrian Democratic Forces into the Syrian army.

An agreement was reached to form three divisions and three brigades to be integrated into the Syrian army, al-Idlibi added, explaining that the Women’s Protection Units would be placed within a dedicated brigade.

He said there would also be a special brigade for border protection, and another for counterterrorism.

In remarks to the Rudaw network, which is close to the SDF, he said both sides would sign a document on combating the Islamic State group.

He also indicated that the deadline for implementing the civil files of the 10 March agreement would be extended.

A previously postponed visit

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) had announced on 29 December 2025 that a planned visit by its commander, Mazloum Abdi, to Damascus was postponed for “technical reasons.”

According to a statement published by the SDF’s media center, Abdi was scheduled to visit Damascus accompanied by the negotiating delegation for northeastern Syria (the country’s northeast).

The statement added that a new date would be set later, to be agreed upon by the relevant parties.

The postponement, the statement said, came as part of logistical and technical arrangements related to the visit, without any change to the course of communication or the objectives on the table.

On 25 December 2025, Mazloum Abdi said the goal of the agreement signed with Damascus was to resolve Syria’s problems through peaceful dialogue and in a way that ensures Syria’s territorial unity. He stressed the SDF’s commitment to the agreement’s provisions, adding that dialogue with Damascus “has not stopped, directly or indirectly,” despite what he described as violations that occur at times.

Developments over recent months marked noticeable progress in the course of dialogue compared with March, Abdi added, expressing optimism that progress could be made in the coming period, especially on the security and military integration files, border crossings, and subterranean resources, which he said “belong to the Syrian people and must be distributed fairly.”

Abdi added that new meetings would be held with Damascus, and that any agreement reached would be announced jointly.

Responding to questions about the agreement ending at the close of the year, Abdi denied that it had any time limit, affirming that the ceasefire is not tied to the end of the year, and that returning to military solutions “is not on the table.” He warned that failure of negotiations would harm all Syrians.

On the political track, Abdi renewed his call for decentralization as an option for governing the state and sharing powers between the center and regions, until a comprehensive constitutional solution is reached during the transitional phase.

The “10 March” deadline

The deadline for the 10 March agreement expired at the end of last year, and its provisions remain on hold. Neither side has implemented any of them, and both have traded accusations over delays and obstruction in recent months, without reaching concrete steps to move the agreement forward.

Despite repeated meetings at various levels, most notably the meeting between Syria’s transitional President Ahmed al-Sharaa and SDF commander Mazloum Abdi on 7 October 2025, the agreement has made no progress, neither on handing over state institutions nor on integrating the SDF’s military and security forces into Syrian state bodies.

A source at Syria’s Ministry of Information previously told Enab Baladithat there was a possibility of an upcoming meeting between Damascus and the SDF, but that discussion in that meeting would focus first on the Syrian government’s proposal, not the SDF’s.

This came after Syria’s Ministry of Defense recently submitted an official proposal to the SDF based on the spirit of the 10 March agreement. It takes into account the SDF’s organizational particularities by giving it the opportunity to integrate gradually into the structure of the Syrian army. The American side was also briefed on the proposal.

According to the source, the SDF rejected the Syrian government’s proposal and submitted an alternative proposal on 22 December, based on forming three separate brigades for counterterrorism, border security, and women.

The source considered that response a reflection of the SDF’s desire to maintain organizational independence outside the framework of the Syrian army, which runs counter to the essence of the 10 March agreement. The Syrian government is now studying this proposal, along with other issues linked to the file.

What is the agreement?

Public negotiations between the two sides began after Syria’s transitional President Ahmed al-Sharaa announced that he had signed an agreement with SDF commander Mazloum Abdi on 10 March 2025.

The agreement included eight clauses, most notably the integration of the SDF’s civil and military structures into state institutions.

The two sides agreed to establish executive committees to implement the agreement, with a deadline not exceeding the end of last year.

Another agreement took effect in the city of Aleppo (northern Syria) between the government and the SDF in early April 2025. Researchers interviewed previously by Enab Baladi described it as a “trial balloon” for the broader agreement reached between al-Sharaa and Abdi.

That agreement included 14 clauses, providing for the withdrawal of SDF military forces while allowing the Internal Security Forces (Asayish) to remain, in preparation for integrating them into Syria’s Interior Ministry.

It also included clauses related to exchanging prisoners between the two sides, culminating in clearing out prisons.

Syria’s Presidency said the agreement would be a constructive step if implemented in an inclusive national spirit, away from special or exclusionary projects, in a statement on 27 April 2025.

The Presidency rejected any attempts to impose a divisive reality or to create separate entities under labels such as federalism or “self-administration” without comprehensive national consensus.

According to its statement at the time, the SDF leadership cannot monopolize decision-making in northeastern Syria, where original components such as Arabs, Kurds, Christians, and others coexist. It said confiscating any component’s decision and monopolizing its representation is unacceptable, adding that there can be no stability or future without genuine partnership and fair representation for all parties.

The Presidency also said that Kurdish rights, like the rights of all components of the Syrian people, are guaranteed and protected within a single Syrian state, on the basis of full citizenship and equality before the law, without the need for any external intervention or foreign guardianship.

[Source: Enab Baladi English]