ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - President Masoud Barzani on Thursday met with Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto in Rome, telling reporters, including Rudaw’s Alla Shally, that the talks focused on the situation in northeast Syria (Rojava), with an emphasis on sparing no effort to protect the Kurdish population in the region.
Speaking on the sidelines of his visit, President Barzani, leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), said the discussions with Crosetto centered on “the situation in Rojava and all related developments,” stressing that the Italian side is “fully aware of the situation.”
“We are all striving to stop the war and prevent the people of Kurdistan from suffering and being subjected to attacks,” he said.
President Barzani added that “the dignity and existence of the Kurdish people are above everything else for us, and we are ready to do whatever is necessary to preserve the dignity of the people of Kurdistan.”
Since mid-January, the Syrian Arab Army and affiliated armed groups have advanced into areas previously held by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), including parts of eastern Aleppo, Deir ez-Zor, Raqqa, and the Kurdish-majority province of Hasaka.
The SDF serve as the de facto military force in Rojava and, until November - when Damascus joined the US-led Global Coalition to Defeat the Islamic State (ISIS) - were the bloc’s sole on-the-ground partner, playing a key role in ISIS’s territorial defeat in Syria in 2019.
The Syrian presidency said on Tuesday that Damascus and the Kurdish-led SDF reached a “mutual understanding” on several issues, agreeing to “grant the SDF a period of four days for consultations to develop a detailed plan for the practical mechanism of integrating the areas [under their control]."
The presidency added that "if an agreement is reached, Syrian forces will not enter the centers of [the predominantly Kurdish cities of] Hasaka and Qamishli [in Rojava] and will remain on their outskirts."
The implementation of the understanding "will begin at 8:00 pm [local time] today [Tuesday]," the statement concluded.
President Barzani on Thursday emphasized that resolving tensions in Syria and Rojava through peaceful means is the best option. “It is better for all parties to seek to stop the war, ensure that the Kurdish region there is protected, and reach an agreement among themselves,” he said.
Responding to a question from Rudaw about the outcomes of his meetings with Italian officials, President Barzani said, “Our talks in Italy were very good. There is great sympathy and good understanding, and they are our friends. They promised that they would support us and stand by us.”
He also praised Crosetto as “a dear friend and close ally of the people of Kurdistan.”
Importantly, President Barzani on Wednesday held phone calls with Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani as part of efforts to de-escalate tensions in Rojava.
Asked about the content of those discussions, President Barzani said, “All efforts are aimed at preventing the escalation and expansion of the war, stopping what is currently happening, and ensuring that the Kurdish region there is protected and the dignity of our people is preserved.”
“We will exert our efforts until the last breath for this. God willing, the problem will be resolved peacefully,” he added, noting that communication is ongoing with “our Kurdish brothers in Syria.”
Alla Shally contributed to this article from Italy.