ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Friday welcomed the reaching of a ceasefire and integration agreement between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Damascus government, expressing his hopes that "this agreement will be expanded and become a source of more peace, freedom, stability, and progress for all of Syria, especially the Kurdish areas."

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 the agreement between the Syrian government and the SDF, and we hope this agreement will be expanded and become a source of more peace, freedom, stability, and progress for all of Syria, especially the Kurdish areas, and be a beginning for securing the legitimate rights of all components of Syria and pave the way for the dignified return of refugees to their homes, lands, and areas," the premier said in a statement.

"The support of the Kurdish people everywhere in the world, and especially the role of His Excellency President Barzani, in ending the crises and paving the way for dialogue for the fundamental resolution of problems, is a source of pride," the prime minister added.

SDF chief Mazloum Abdi on Monday thanked the premier for his efforts to support Rojava amid the conflict.

“We contacted Mr. Masrour Barzani, Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government [KRG], regarding efforts to de-escalate tensions and transfer ISIS [Islamic State ] detainees to Iraq,” Abdi said on X.

“We expressed our deep appreciation for the continued support his government has provided to our people, embodying the spirit of partnership and shared responsibility in these difficult circumstances,” he stressed.

Barzani further extended his appreciation to the US and other regional and international actors involved in securing the accord.

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.

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.

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani earlier in the day similary welcomed the agreement, asserting that it "lays a solid foundation for stability, social peace, and peaceful coexistence among all communities." 

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.