Syria
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani (right) shaking hands with his French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot in Paris on Monday, January 5, 2026. Photo: SANA
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot discussed progress in negotiations between Kurdish-led forces and Damascus during a meeting with his Syrian counterpart, Asaad al-Shaibani.
According to a statement, in a meeting in Paris on Monday, Barrot and Shaibani “addressed the progress of negotiations between the transitional authorities and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) with a view to fully implementing the March 10, 2025 agreement.”
On March 10, Mazloum Abdi, commander-in-chief of the SDF, and Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa signed an agreement aimed at integrating the SDF and the Kurdish-led autonomous administration in northeast Syria (Rojava) into the country’s state institutions.
While negotiations over implementation are ongoing, significant differences remain. Kurdish negotiators favor integrating the SDF as a unified military force, whereas the Syrian government prefers absorbing SDF fighters individually into regular army units.
On Sunday, Abdi led a delegation to Damascus to discuss the integration of his forces into Syria’s new security framework. Despite statements from both sides suggesting “good news,” no tangible progress was announced following the meeting.
Damascus has not commented on the meeting, which was reportedly mediated by the United States.
Beyond the SDF talks, Barrot and Shaibani addressed several other key issues, including Syria’s decision to join the US-led coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS) and accountability for atrocities committed against civilians in the southern province of Suwayda in March and July of last year.
Barrot “expressed France’s full support for the efforts of the Syrian Transitional Authority to fully investigate the atrocities committed against civilians on the coast and in Suwayda last March and July,” according to the French Foreign Ministry. He also voiced support for “a transition conducted in a manner that respects all segments of Syrian society.”
Violence has persisted in parts of Syria following the ouster of Bashar al-Assad’s regime by the now-dissolved jihadist group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). The group’s former leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa, currently serves as interim president.
In mid-July, deadly clashes erupted between Druze fighters and Sunni Bedouin tribes in Suwayda province, escalating after Syrian government forces became involved. A ceasefire was reached on July 19. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that nearly 2,000 people were killed, including approximately 765 Druze civilians, many of whom were reportedly executed by defense and interior ministry forces. Sporadic clashes have continued since between Druze fighters and Damascus-affiliated units.
Earlier, in March, fighting broke out in Alawite-majority coastal regions after Assad loyalists attacked forces aligned with the interim leadership. The violence left around 1,700 people dead - mostly Alawite civilians - with many deaths attributed to pro-government forces.
“The two ministers further stressed the importance of working toward the restoration of a stable, unified, and sovereign Syria,” the French Foreign Ministry statement said.
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