Iraqi Kurdish regional leader meets Syrian president in Damascus

Barzani meets Syria’s al-Sharaa in Damascus to discuss Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) integration and Kurdish rights in post-Assad Syria.Published On 3 Aug 20263 Aug 2026Nechirvan Barzani, president of Iraq’s semiautonomous Kurdish region, has held talks with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, in the first visit by a Kurdish leader to Syria since the fall of ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.On Monday, Barzani led a high-level delegation to Damascus, where he was received at the People’s Palace. According to Syria’s state news agency SANA, the two sides discussed bilateral relations between Erbil and Damascus, as well as several key regional issues of mutual concern to strengthen cooperation and coordination across various fields.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Iraqi PM visits Turkiye to boost ties despite complex challengeslist 2 of 3Iranian Kurdish parties in Iraq face a delicate balance amid Iran attackslist 3 of 3Turkiye and Iraq sign one-year oil pipeline deal amid global shiftend of listThe visit to Syria’s capital comes after months of diplomatic engagement between the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq and Syria’s new administration. Barzani and al-Sha...