High-Stakes second round talks in Daramsuq as Democratic Autonomous Administration meets Syrian government

DARAMSUQ (DAMASCUS) — Today, a high-level delegation from the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAARNES), arrived in Daramsuq (Damascus) for critical negotiations with the Syrian government. The meeting marks a significant step in ongoing efforts to define Syria’s future governance structure.

The DAARNES delegation included Mazloum Abdi, commander-in-chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF); Ilham Ahmed, co-chair of the DAARNES’s External Relations Council; and co-leaders of the negotiating team, Fawza Yusuf and Abdul Hamid Al-Mahbash. They met face-to-face with President Ahmad al‑Sharaa and other senior government officials, under American supervision by envoy Thomas Barrack, as well as with French observers.

Dossiers: state form, governance, economy, military

The core of today’s discussions focuses on four major dossiers: the future structure of the Syrian state, the balance of power between the Syrian Government and DAARNES, economic integration, and military coordination. These are seen as foundational to implementing Syria’s March 10 agreement, which envisioned normalization between DAARNES and Daramsuq.

This formal visit echoes the “constructive and cooperative atmosphere” of the initial DAARNES–Syrian Government talks held in Daramsuq on June 1 — a breakthrough scene marked by the presence of Syriac Union Party (SUP) Co-Chair Sanharib Barsom alongside senior Syrian government representatives. Back then, delegations agreed to form joint subcommittees aimed at aligning educational, administrative, security, and service systems. Emphasis was also placed on national exams, displaced persons’ return, and coordination in Achrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud in Holeb (Aleppo). 

Today’s meeting signals the transition from agenda-setting to tangible political design. The four-file framework—state form, governance relations, economic policy, and military structure—reflects the scope of challenges ahead.

Previous Steps

On March 10, President al-Sharaa and Mazloum Abdi signed a landmark accord envisioning structured coordination across governance, security, and services. The June 1 DAARNES–Syrian government talks marked the first direct dialogue. Officials hailed the atmosphere as optimistic and inclusive. Joint subcommittees were established for education, security, administration, and rebuilding trust. 

Today’s session is the next phase, shifting from frameworks to policy shaping and institutional integration.

A senior Syrian negotiator, speaking anonymously, emphasized that “the shape of Syria’s future depends on how power is shared—particularly in the northeast.” Economic coordination, involving oil fields and agriculture, is also a high-stakes issue. The role of international oversight—via U.S. envoy Thomas Barrack and French observers—is seen as stabilizing, although their presence carries political implications. Western involvement signals support for a peaceful Syrian transition, while raising concerns among factions wary of outside influence.

As Syria wrestles with rebuilding its torn social fabric, these negotiations hint at a new phase—one that may determine whether pluralism, decentralization, and inclusion can supplant authoritarian legacy. The eyes of regional powers and the international community remain fixed on Daramsuq.