ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - President Masoud Barzani on Saturday received US Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack with the pair discussing recent clashes between Damascus and Kurdish-led forces and the need for dialogue and peaceful methods to reach a resolution.

Kurdish-led forces and the Damascus government have clashed several times since the year started with the worst being in Aleppo’s Kurdish-majority neighborhoods which saw hundreds of civilians killed and over 150,000 displaced.

Barrack and chief of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Mazloum Abdi arrived in Erbil on Saturday to discuss the conflict with top Kurdistan Region leaders.

During the meeting which Prime Minister Masrour Barzani also attended, “the situation in Syria and the latest field developments were discussed, and it was emphasized that to reach a resolution to the problems, it is necessary to rely on dialogue, understanding, and peaceful methods,” read a statement from Barzani Headquarters.

“President Barzani thanked America's role in assisting the Syrian parties to reach a resolution to the problems, and also emphasized that in the future of Syria, the rights of the Kurdish people must be guaranteed,” the statement added.

Abdi late Friday announced that they have decided to withdraw from areas in eastern Aleppo, where clashes with Damascus-linked factions frequently took place, in a show of “good faith” in completing the integration process in accordance with the March 10 Agreement.

The implementation of the March 10 Agreements was long stalled by continued clashes between the two sides and disagreements on core governing principles, with the Kurdish authorities demanding a decentralized Syria while Damascus maintained its centralized stance.