Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa received in Damascus on Saturday a Kurdish delegation on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr and Nowruz. The event was attended by the governors of Aleppo, Raqqa and Hasakeh, as well as a presidential envoy overseeing the implementation of a January 29 agreement with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
Sharaa said Nowruz was a “national holiday” reflecting the identity of Syria’s Kurdish community, while stressing that “the Syrian people are one.”
He said guaranteeing Kurdish rights was a fundamental principle and described Syria’s cultural diversity as a source of strength, according to state news agency SANA.
Participants welcomed a 2026 presidential decree granting rights to Kurds, stressing the importance of national unity, partnership and restricting weapons to state control.
It was the first time Nowruz has been celebrated as an official national holiday in Syria.
Kurdish academic and independent politician Farid Saadoun told Asharq Al-Awsat that Sharaa announced plans to allocate up to $1 billion to rebuild infrastructure in northern Syria.
The meeting, coordinated by authorities in Hasakeh, lasted about 90 minutes and included between 50 and 60 Kurdish figures, including representatives of the Kurdish National Council, independents, academics and civil society figures.
Saadoun said the delegation represented Kurds from across Syria, including Kobani, Afrin and Damascus, but noted that the Democratic Union Party (PYD) did not attend despite being invited.
He described the meeting as “historic,” saying it was the first time a Syrian president had received a Kurdish delegation to exchange greetings for Eid and Nowruz.
According to Saadoun, Sharaa said Syria was entering a “new phase,” declaring that “the past has ended” and calling on Syrians to unite to rebuild the country.
He emphasized Kurdish rights to “dignity, freedom and participation” after years of marginalization under the previous government, adding that Kurds would have a role in state institutions.
Sharaa said the government would focus on rebuilding infrastructure in the north, improving education and reinstating dismissed public employees.
On the January 29 agreement with the SDF, Saadoun said the president reaffirmed his commitment to its implementation, aimed at stabilizing the country and restoring services.
“We are moving steadily toward integration and delivering services to the people,” Sharaa was quoted as saying.
Mahmoud Khalil, deputy head of internal security in Hasakeh, said he attended the event alongside local officials. He said discussions also covered detainees and the return of displaced people to Afrin and Ras al-Ain.
Khalil said a special committee had been formed on Sharaa’s instructions to follow up on these issues and support stability efforts.
