US’s Rubio hails Syria deal with Kurds, calls for non-sectarian governance

The United States has welcomed Syria's agreement to integrate the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into national institutions. This move is viewed by the U.S. as an important step towards avoiding further conflict and promoting a political transition in Syria.

Washington expressed its support after the Syrian Presidential Office and the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces announced the agreement. The agreement grants the Syrian central government full control over the semi-autonomous region that has been administered by the Kurdish-led alliance since 2015. This agreement marks a potential turning point for the situation in Syria.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement on Tuesday: "The United States reiterates its support for a political transition that demonstrates credible, non-sectarian governance as the best way to avoid further conflict." He also added: "We will continue to monitor the decisions made by the transitional authorities and express concern about the recent deadly violence against minorities."

Syrian interim President Ahmed Shala and Syrian Democratic Forces commander Mazloum Abdi said on Monday that they had reached an agreement to incorporate "all civil and military institutions in northeastern Syria" into the national administration, including airports and oil and gas fields. The agreement is seen as one of the most important political developments in the country since Shala's Syrian opposition forces overthrew long-time President Bashar al-Assad in December.

The agreement comes at a critical moment for Damascus, which is struggling to cope with the aftermath of a series of violent incidents that erupted last week in the Alawite minority heartland. The agreement includes a ceasefire throughout Syria, support from the Syrian Democratic Forces for combating pro-Assad militants, and confirmation that the Kurdish people are an integral part of Syria with the right to citizenship and constitutionally guaranteed rights.

Although discussions on integrating the Syrian Democratic Forces into the Syrian state have been ongoing since Assad's ouster, efforts to reach an agreement have been hampered by perceptions that the group is less committed to opposing the deposed regime than other opposition forces. The United States has worked with the Syrian Democratic Forces to combat ISIL (ISIS) militants, whose so-called caliphate in Syria was overthrown in 2019. Washington's support for the Syrian Democratic Forces has strained relations with Turkey, which views the group as an extension of the Kurdish nationalist Kurdistan Workers' Party, which Ankara considers a "terrorist" organization.