ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Mazloum Abdi, commander of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), on Tuesday said they have reached an agreement with the Syrian defense ministry to form two high-profile committees aiming to expedite the integration process.

On January 29, SDF announced that it has reached a “comprehensive agreement” with Damascus to enable a phased integration process of the Kurdish-led forces into the Syrian state after weeks-long clashes between both sides.

“We met with the Syrian Foreign Minister and the Director of General Intelligence and agreed to expedite the integration process and form two committees from both sides at the leadership level,” Abdi said in a speech following a meeting in Hasaka that brought together representatives of Arab and Kurdish tribes.

“The committees will hold meetings soon,” he added.

The January agreement saw the entry of Syrian government forces into Kurdish-held areas in Hasaka province, as well as the appointment of the SDF-backed Nureddin Issa as Hasaka's governor, and Marwan al-Ali as the province's chief of internal security by the Syrian government.

“There is a problem with the appointment of the deputy defense minister in Damascus,” a post allotted to Kurds per the agreement, “and we are now working to announce it officially,” the SDF leader said.

He further noted that the institutions in Rojava will maintain their directors and members while being integrated into the Syrian state structure, similar to the Kurdish-led forces and security which he noted will retain their structure while integrating into the ministries of defense and interior.

Abdi has previously stated that they aim to preserve Kurdish self-rule in Rojava, telling reporters on Sunday that the Kurdish-led Rojava administration informed Damascus that “we want autonomy in the Kurdish areas, no matter under what label.”

The Kurdish majority areas will “maintain their autonomy,” in accordance with the agreement with Damascus, Abdi added.

Meanwhile, Syrian media have emphasized that the integration of Rojava’s institutions into the central government must be in line with interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa's vision of a united central Syria.