Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government President Nechirvan Barzani met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus. The meeting was the first visit by a Kurdish leader to Syria since the regime change in the country.
Barzani was received at the People's Palace with a high-level delegation. According to Syria's state news agency SANA, the parties discussed bilateral relations between Erbil and Damascus and regional issues, exploring ways to strengthen cooperation and coordination in various fields.
The visit came as a result of months of diplomatic contacts between the two sides. Barzani and Sharaa had previously met twice, on April 11, 2025, and April 17, 2026, on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum. According to a statement from the Kurdish Region Presidency, the second meeting covered the development of economic relations and the agreement between the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
One of the main agenda items was the integration of the SDF, which controls much of northeastern Syria and is led by Kurds, into Syrian state institutions. While the Damascus government seeks to absorb this military structure, Kurdish representatives demand guarantees for political and cultural rights.
According to Al Hadath, Barzani and Sharaa discussed mechanisms for establishing the constitutional rights of Kurds in Syria, particularly language rights and administrative autonomy. The implementation of Decree No. 13 on Kurdish language rights was also among the topics discussed. Syrian officials expressed interest in benefiting from the experience of the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government in areas such as Kurdish language education, curriculum development, and teacher training.
Barzani's schedule also included meetings with various Kurdish officials, including SDF commanders in Syria and Kurdish members of the Syrian parliament.
This diplomatic move follows recent contacts such as the visit of the Syrian education minister to Erbil and efforts by Syria to reopen its consulate in the Iraqi Kurdish region. Barzani had previously hosted SDF commander Mazloum Abdi and delegations from northeastern Syria in Erbil.
For the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government, which shares a 1,100 km border with Syria and hosts tens of thousands of Syrian refugees, these relations carry vital security imperatives. A stable and inclusive Syria reduces the risk of an ISIS resurgence, limits future refugee flows, and expands Erbil's diplomatic maneuvering room with both Baghdad and Ankara.
All these talks come at a sensitive time, with ongoing clashes between Syrian forces and Kurdish fighters in the northeast.
