ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Friday welcomed the signing of an agreement between the Syrian government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) earlier in the day, calling it "an important and correct step towards a peaceful solution and an end to tensions."

The SDF announced earlier that it has reached a “comprehensive agreement” with Damascus that will see a phased integration process of the Kurdish-led forces into the Syrian state after weeks-long clashes between both sides.

"We welcome and support the agreement reached between the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) for a ceasefire, the integration of military and administrative institutions, the guarantee of civil and educational rights for the Kurdish people, and the return of displaced persons to their homes," the president said in a statement.

"This agreement also lays a solid foundation for stability, social peace, and peaceful coexistence among all communities," Barzani continued. "We hope it will contribute to rebuilding a unified Syria, protecting the rights of the Kurdish people and all other communities in the upcoming constitution, and achieving security for Syria and the region as a whole."

President Nechirvan Barzani has been intimately involved in negotiations between the warring sides and efforts with US Special Envoy Tom Barrack to reach a solution.

The agreement includes “the withdrawal of military forces from contact points,” the entry of Syrian interior ministry security forces into the Rojava cities of Hasakah and Qamishli, and “the commencement of the integration of security forces in the region,” according to the SDF.

Footage shows Syrian interior ministry forces preparing to enter the Rojava cities of Qamishli and Hasakah under the terms of an agreement signed between the Kurdish-led SDF and the Damascus government on Friday pic.twitter.com/II0t0nP9eu

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It also includes the formation of a military division under Syrian state control from three SDF brigades and a brigade from the Kobane forces within a division under the auspices of Aleppo provincial authorities.

"This carefully negotiated step, building on earlier frameworks and recent efforts to de-escalate tensions, reflects a shared commitment to inclusion, mutual respect, and the collective dignity of all Syrian communities," Barrack wrote on X.

"For the Syrian government, this accord demonstrates a steadfast dedication to genuine national partnership and inclusive governance," he asserted, stressing the salience of Damascus' efforts for the protection of the Kurdish language and anti-discrimination measures.

Meanwhile, Elham Ahmed, foreign relations co-chair of the Kurdish-led Rojava administration, thanked the US and France for their role in mediating the agreement, saying it "constitutes an important step on the path to stability."

"The entry of [Syrian] security forces comes to ensure a responsible and gradual integration process that guarantees partnership, preserves the dignity of all components, and paves the way for fair and balanced development in various regions," Ahmed wrote on X.

The recent clashes between Kurdish-led forces and Damascus-affiliated factions broke out after a year of tensions regarding a prospective integration agreement, with Rojava authorities remaining hesitant in light of sectarian massacres perpetrated by state forces against the country's Druze and Alawite minorities.

The Syrian offensive in Rojava has left hundreds dead and forced Kurdish-led forces, who did the brunt of defeating the Islamic State (ISIS) in the country, to cede swathes of territory and withdraw to Hasakah province, with the attacking Syrian forces violating ceasefires, committing human rights violations, and possibly war crimes in their campaign.