After months of deliberation and negotiations, Syrian President Ahmed Sharaa and Mazloum Abdi, commander-in-chief of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), on Monday signed an eight-point agreement to officially integrate the Kurdish-led forces along with all other institutions in northeastern Syria into the Syrian state institutions.

 

"The United States welcomes the recently announced agreement between the Syrian interim authorities and the Syrian Democratic Forces to integrate the northeast into a unified Syria,” read a statement by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. 

 

The statement added Washington "reaffirms its support for a political transition that demonstrates credible, non-sectarian governance as the best path to avoid further conflict.”

 

The EU also on Tuesday welcomed the agreement, saying the deal will “pave the way” for stronger stability in the region.

 

"This agreement could pave the way for increased stability and a better future for many Syrians,” the EU said, encouraging "the parties to work on implementation and we stand ready to support.”

 

The agreement is set to see the integration of all civil and military institutions in northeast Syria into the Syrian state administration including border crossings, airports, and oil and gas fields, according to a copy of the accord that was published on Syrian state media.

 

The deal also outlines the recognition of the Kurdish community as an authentic community in the Syrian state and requires that the Syrian state “shall guarantee its rights of citizenship and all its constitutional rights.”

 

The two sides also agreed on a ceasefire across Syrian territories, refusing attempts to divide the Syrian state, and the need to guarantee the return of Syrian refugees.

 

“Executive committees will work on and seek to implement the agreement by no later than the end of the current year,” read the last point of the agreement.

 

The SDF currently controls the bulk of the northeastern and eastern regions of Syria, amounting to a quarter territory of the country. Formed in 2015, the SDF is strongly backed by the US and is considered the Kurdish de facto army in Syria.

 

An 11-day sweeping rebel offensive spearheaded by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), led by Sharaa, brought a five-decade-long rule of the Assad family to an end on December 8.

 

During a conference declaring the victory of the Syrian revolution in late January, the new Damascus administration announced that all armed factions would be dissolved and integrated into the state institutions.