QSD in Damascus.. Signs of new cooperation with the Syrian government after months of tension.

A delegation from the Self-Administration of North and East Syria, controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces "SDF," visited the capital Damascus for talks with the new Syrian government, in a first-of-its-kind step following the historic agreement between SDF commander Mazloum Abdi and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on March 10th. The delegation, which arrived in Damascus on Saturday evening, includes prominent figures from the Self-Administration, such as Fawza Yusuf, Abd Hameed al-Mehbash, and Ahmed Yusuf, along with other members, to discuss the mechanisms for implementing the agreement and activating joint committees between the two parties on Sunday. This exceptional visit comes after the postponement of a prisoner exchange operation between the SDF and the transitional government in Aleppo, despite a comprehensive agreement reached last April. In a related context, Mazloum Abdi revealed in a TV interview with the "Shams" channel close to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, the existence of communication and a temporary truce with Turkey, expressing readiness for his forces to fully engage in the political process within Syria. On the other hand, Nawaf Khalil, the director of the Kurdish Center for Studies, did not rule out the possibility of a meeting between Abdi and Turkish officials in Damascus or Ankara in the near future, despite the SDF's denial of an official Turkish request. Khalil pointed out that this meeting would be a result of the peace process that began in Turkey between the government and the Kurdistan Workers' Party. Khalil added that the visit of the Self-Administration delegation to Damascus represents a positive step towards expanding cooperation between the Self-Administration and the Syrian government, especially in vital issues such as the presence of SDF forces, the oil file, and bilingual education in Kurdish and Syriac languages, emphasizing that the results of the visit are linked to Turkish positions and American support for the political process. Abdi expressed regret for the Syrian official stance on the "Kurdish Unity" conference held in Qamishli recently, considering President al-Sharaa's reaction to the political document issued by the conference as a result of misunderstanding. Abdi's statements come after Turkish criticisms, where Ankara accused the Syrian Democratic Forces of continuing to procrastinate in implementing its agreement with the Syrian government, calling on them to stop. However, Abdi confirmed the existence of a temporary truce with Turkey, expressing hope for turning it into a permanent ceasefire to ensure stability in the region.