The president of Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, Nechirvan Barzani, visited Damascus on August 3 to meet Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, Rudaw reported. It was his first official visit to Syria since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, marking a new step in the rapprochement between Erbil and Syria’s new authorities.

At the center of the discussions was the implementation of the January 29 agreement between Damascus and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which aims to gradually integrate Kurdish-led institutions in northeastern Syria into the Syrian state. Barzani, who maintains close ties with Syrian Kurdish leaders, particularly SDF commander Mazloum Abdi, is seeking to continue his role as a mediator while emphasizing that the issue remains ultimately a matter of Syrian sovereignty.

Economic opportunities

The two leaders also discussed key regional issues, including border security, counterterrorism efforts, the return of refugees, and the impact of rising tensions between the United States and Iran. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to dialogue and regional stability.

Beyond security concerns, economic cooperation emerged as another major priority. Nechirvan Barzani highlighted the “great opportunities” offered by strengthening economic ties between Syria, Iraq, and the Kurdistan Region. Discussions focused in particular on expanding trade, transport links, investment and infrastructure cooperation.

This momentum is already translating into concrete initiatives. A delegation from the Kurdish-based Iskandar Holding met with the Syrian Investment Authority to explore potential projects in industry, services and infrastructure, according to Enab Baladi. Damascus is seeking to attract regional capital to accelerate reconstruction efforts after more than 14 years of war.

Erbil’s experience in attracting foreign investment could allow the Kurdistan Region to act as a bridge between Syria, Iraq and Gulf investors.

While the integration of the SDF remains a sensitive issue, closer ties between Damascus and Erbil could help stabilize northeastern Syria while opening new economic opportunities across the region.

Source: Enab Baladi / Rudaw