The General Commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Mazloum Abdi, revealed the agenda of the upcoming round of negotiations between the SDF and the Syrian government, scheduled to take place in the French capital, Paris. He confirmed the Autonomous Administration’s commitment to implementing the terms of the March 10 agreement, signed between Abdi and Syria’s transitional president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, earlier this year.

In statements to the Saudi-owned Al Arabiya channel on Tuesday, July 29, Abdi said that his forces are working to implement all provisions of the agreement before the end of the year.

He noted that the upcoming negotiations in Paris will focus on the mechanism for integrating the SDF into the Syrian army, stating that the SDF will become part of the Syrian Ministry of Defense.

“We agree with the government on a unified Syria under one army and one flag,” Abdi said, adding that there is daily communication with the Syrian government. However, he acknowledged that the March 10 agreement is progressing slowly due to issues on both sides.

Abdi emphasized that Kurdish political groups are aligned with the SDF’s proposals but expressed concern about merging with the Syrian army without constitutional guarantees.

He considered the recent events in Suwayda as a signal of the importance of negotiations and reaching an agreement. He also welcomed the potential involvement of Saudi Arabia as a mediator, saying, “Saudi Arabia could play a positive role if it joins our talks with Damascus.”

On July 26, Qutaiba Idlibi, Director of the American Affairs Department at the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated in an interview with the state-run Ikhbariya TV that no progress has been made in implementing the March 10 agreement so far. He stressed that the agreement does not require months to be executed but rather a genuine willingness to act.

No Delay in Talks

Al Arabiya Net reported on Monday, July 28, citing a source in the French Foreign Ministry, that there is no delay or postponement of the first round of negotiations between the SDF and the Syrian government. Paris continues preparations for the initial session, which is expected to bring together senior officials from both sides to discuss how to implement the agreement between President Ahmad al-Sharaa and SDF Commander Mazloum Abdi.

The source said the first round of talks could begin “within weeks,” especially amid growing international interest in moving the process forward after last week’s joint French-American-Syrian statement.

Paris negotiations run into “SDF” demands and Damascus’s refusal

A senior official in the Autonomous Administration also told Al Arabiya Net that the talks were not delayed due to the SDF’s insistence on keeping its weapons.

However, Ilham Ahmed, co-chair of the Foreign Relations Department of the Autonomous Administration, attributed the failure to implement integration to differing interpretations of the agreement. She said that while both sides agreed on the concepts of integration, participation, and unity, each interprets them differently.

According to the SDF’s definition, integration should be “dual in nature,” meaning that the Damascus government must recognize the SDF, and the SDF must recognize the Damascus government.

On July 25, the French capital hosted a meeting between Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, and U.S. Special Envoy to Syria Thomas Barrack.

The meeting concluded with an agreement to hold a round of consultations between the Syrian government and the SDF in Paris as soon as possible to continue implementing the March 10 agreement.