US Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack and Commander of the US Central Command Brad Cooper held talks with Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander Mazloum Abdi in northeastern Syria on Monday.
In a post on the X platform, Barrack said they held “substantive conversations” and that they sensed “forward momentum” for US President Donald Trump’s “vision of ‘give Syria a chance’ by allowing Syrians to unite with all Syrians in a renewed effort for cooperative peace and prosperity.”
The SDF said discussions focused on the implementation of the March agreement to merge the Kurdish forces with the state security forces.
They also tackled means to lift sanctions off Syria and pave the way for investments, development and the return of refugees.
They renewed their commitment to the partnership between the SDF and US-led anti-ISIS coalition to bolster security in northern and eastern Syria to preserve its sovereignty and territorial integrity, said the SDF.
The agreement between the SDF and government was supposed to have been implemented by the end of the year, but interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa has acknowledged that "some delays or stalling” were hampering the efforts.
This was the Barrack’s first visit to northern and eastern Syria. It took place as the country held on Sunday its first parliamentary elections since the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad in December.
The Syrian Democratic Council, the SDF’s political wing, said on Monday that it rejected the results of the polls because they “do not reflect the will” of the people.
