ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Masoud Barzani, leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the former President of the Kurdistan Region, on Wednesday held a phone call with Mazloum Abdi, commander-in-chief of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), discussing the recent agreement with Damascus and stressing the need for Kurdish unity in Syria.

After months of deliberation and negotiations, Syrian Interim President Ahmed Sharaa and SDF chief Abdi 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.

“Abdi explained to President Barzani the details and results of his visit to Damascus and the understanding reached with the Syrian government,” read a statement from Barzani Headquarters regarding the phone call.

“Both sides also stressed the need to support any step that leads to peace and stability in Syria, as well as the importance of a unified Kurdish position in the next steps of the Syrian political process,” the statement added.

The Kurdistan Region, notably President Barzani, has played a mediatory role between the SDF and the opposition Kurdish National Council (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 Barzani met with Abdi in Pirmam, Erbil. The long-overdue meeting was welcomed by Kurds across political and ideological divides in the region and beyond.

The agreement between the SDF and Damascus 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.

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.

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.