ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Thursday met Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani in Davos, discussing “the general situation in Syria, developing bilateral ties, and the regional developments” and Kurdish rights in the country, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum.

During the meeting, Syrian Foreign Minister Shaibani invited PM Barzani to visit Damascus.  

The Syrian foreign minister briefed PM Barzani on “the new Syria’s situation, the new administration’s efforts to restore peace and stability and provide public services to its citizens,” read a statement from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).

Shibani said “Kurds are our sisters and brothers and are an important component of Syria. We assure that their rights will be protected."

The meeting comes as the Kurdistan Region, notably President Masoud Barzani, plays a mediatory role between the US-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the opposition Kurdish National Council (KNC or ENKS) to help establish a united front for talks with the new administration in Damascus to safeguard the Kurdish nation’s rights in the country.  

On January 16, President Masoud Barzani met with SDF General Commander Mazloum Abdi in Pirmam, Erbil. This long-overdue meeting was welcomed by Kurds across political and ideological divides in the region and beyond.

Barzani’s office stated that the leaders discussed “adopting a joint stance” to “safeguard [Kurdish] rights” through dialogue with Syria’s emerging authorities. Abdi echoed this in a post on X, emphasizing themes of “Kurdish unity” and achieving rights “peacefully.” The meeting highlighted that despite historical and political differences, Kurdish leaders can find common ground when necessary.

The collapse of Assad and Turkey’s ongoing military campaigns along with their allied opposition rebel groups on the Kurdish enclave in Syria has once again brought up the issue of Kurdish disunity, a serious development emboldening Syrian Kurds to merge their enclaves and reach an agreement to engage in talks with the international players and new authorities in Damascus.

President Barzani has repeatedly called on Kurdish parties of Syria to cast aside their differences and unite their fronts.

The US on Monday welcomed the historical meeting between President Barzani and Abdi.

"Intra-Kurdish dialogue can play a critical role in bolstering an inclusive political transition in Syria,” the US State Department said in a statement.

Turkey considers the People’s Protection Units (YPG), the backbone of the US-backed, Kurdish-led SDF that controls the Syrian Kurdish region, to be inextricably linked to its domestic foe, the PKK. However, the YPG insists that they merely subscribe to a similar ideology.

The SDF, considered the Kurdish de facto army in Syria and the US’ primary ally in the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS) in the country, controls the bulk of northeastern and eastern regions of Syria, amounting to a quarter of the country's territory.