Syrian President Sharaa meets Kurdish Region's Barzani in Damascus

DAMASCUS, Syria — Syrian President Ahmed Sharaa received Kurdish Region President Nechirvan Barzani at the Republican Palace in the Syrian capital on Monday, with the two leaders discussing relations between Syria, Iraq and the Kurdish Region. The meeting, held as part of Barzani's official visit to Syria, is expected to cover cooperation in political, security and economic fields as well as issues of mutual concern. Kurdish Region Presidential Spokesperson Dilshad Shahab said the visit was carried out in coordination with Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Fallah al-Zaydi and aims to strengthen security, stability and cooperation between Baghdad, Damascus and Erbil. Topics on the agenda include border security, regional developments, Syrian refugees in the Kurdish Region, and economic ties. The talks are also expected to address the state of dialogue between Damascus and Kurdish forces. The visit follows a series of meetings between Barzani and Sharaa over the past two years focused on developments in the Syrian file, relations with Iraq and the Kurdish Region, and the campaign against ISIS.