In a statement on Sunday, President Masoud Barzani underlined that he hopes the ongoing fighting in Syria will stop soon and that all parties will return to previous agreements to resolve disputes and restore stability.

“We hope that the fighting, complications, and tensions currently prevailing between the forces of the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) will come to an end as soon as possible, and that all parties will return to the agreements previously reached to resolve disputes and achieve stability among Syria’s parties.”

The statement also referred to ongoing efforts to resolve outstanding issues, such as yesterday’s joint meeting with U.S. Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack, SDF Commander-in-Chief Mazloum Abdi, and Kurdish National Council President Mohammed Ismail.

“We also view the decree issued by the President of Syria concerning Kurdish rights as a positive step in the right direction. We hope it will serve as a foundation – strengthened through the consent and participation of the concerned parties – so that the rights of the Kurdish people are guaranteed, legally and constitutionally, on a firm basis.”

The meeting came amid heavy fighting between the SDF and Syrian government forces after a withdrawal agreement failed in eastern Aleppo.