ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Mazloum Abdi, commander-in-chief of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), has arrived in Italy on the first leg of a European tour aimed at discussing political and security developments in Syria, according to SDF-affiliated media.
Abdi, who held meetings with US Special Envoy for Syria and Iraq Tom Barrack and senior Kurdistan Region leaders in Erbil on Tuesday, departed for Europe shortly afterward, Hawar News Agency reported on Wednesday.
The visit comes amid efforts to implement an agreement signed between the SDF and Damascus earlier this year, aimed at integrating Kurdish-led institutions into the Syrian state following the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime. The process has been backed by international actors, including the United States and France.
The SDF chief is expected to meet Italian officials before traveling to France for talks with European leaders on political and security issues in Syria. Discussions are set to focus on the ongoing process of integrating military and civilian institutions in northeast Syria (Rojava) into the Syrian state's structures, according to the Kurdish news outlet.
The SDF serves as the de facto military force in Rojava.
Abdi previously met Italy's Consul General in Erbil, Tommaso Sansone, in late May.
"Italy supports the ongoing dialogue for a democratic, stable, and united Syria, to secure full recognition and respect for the rights of all ethnic and religious components," said Sansone in a statement following the meeting.
