Syria's informal leader Ahmed al-Sharaa held the first "positive talks" in Damascus with a delegation from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a coalition dominated by Kurdish fighters and backed by Washington, a Syrian official told AFP today.
“A meeting was held between senior officials of the Syrian Democratic Forces and Jawlani in Damascus on Monday,” the Syrian official said, using the pseudonym of Jawlani, Abu Muhammad al-Jawlani.
As the leader of the radical Islamist group “Hayat Tahrir al-Sham“ (HTS), Ahmed al-Sharaa led a coalition of armed rebel groups that entered Damascus on December 8 and forced President Bashar al-Assad to flee, ending more than half a century of Assad family rule in Syria.
Yesterday's meeting with the SDF delegation was a "preliminary meeting to lay the foundations for future dialogue," the official said, adding that the two sides had agreed "to continue these meetings to reach agreements."
This first meeting was "positive" and should allow "the dialogue to strengthen in the future," the official said.
The SDF, partners of the West, united in an international anti-jihadist coalition, has led the fight against the "Islamic State" group (IS) in Syria.
As a result of the Syrian conflict that began in 2011, they took advantage of the withdrawal of regime forces to take control of large areas of northeastern Syria and establish an “autonomous administration“ there.
The areas under their control include vast agricultural areas, as well as most of the country's valuable oil fields, which are crucial to Syria's revenues.
In an interview with “Al-Arabiya“ television, broadcast on Sunday evening, Ash-Sharaa said that the SDF should be integrated into the future Syrian army.
“Weapons should only be in the hands of the state. "Anyone who is armed and has the opportunity to join the Ministry of Defense will be welcome," he said, assuring that it is under "these conditions and criteria" that negotiations with the SDF will be held, "in the hope of finding a suitable solution."
Ahmed al-Sharaa met today in Damascus with religious representatives of the country's Christian community, Agence France-Presse reported, citing a statement from al-Sharaa's office.
Photos of the meeting, in which al-Sharaa is wearing a suit and tie, were published on Telegram. He posed with representatives of the Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, Armenian and Syriac Orthodox churches.
Syria's new leader promised after the overthrow of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad that there would be security for all religious and ethnic minorities in Syria.
Syrian Foreign Minister Assad Hassan al-Shibani said he had a phone conversation with his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelati today, with the two emphasizing the role of their countries in the "stability and prosperity of the region," AFP reported.
This is the first contact between the two countries that has been officially reported, AFP reported.
"I am pleased with the call by Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelati, during which he emphasized the importance of the role of both countries in strengthening the stability and prosperity of the region," the Syrian foreign minister said on his profile on the social network “Ex“.