ISTANBUL

Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani on Saturday met with Nechirvan Barzani, the president of Iraq’s northern Kurdish region, to discuss reconstruction and economic cooperation in Syria.

The meeting took place in Germany on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, which began Friday and runs for three days, according to a Syrian Foreign Ministry source cited by the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).

The two sides discussed Syria’s economic situation and the country’s postwar reconstruction and stressed the importance of intensifying economic and development ties in the coming days, the source said.

Barzani reaffirmed his support for Syria’s unity and stability, describing them as “a fundamental pillar for the stability of Iraq and its Kurdish region alike,” according to the same source.

He also praised several steps taken by Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, expressing “great satisfaction” with a recent presidential decree concerning Syrian Kurds' rights.

In January, Sharaa issued a decree recognizing the cultural and linguistic rights of Syrian Kurds, addressing civil and legal issues affecting stateless residents, and tackling long-standing property rights cases, in a move aimed at building an inclusive state that protects citizens’ rights without discrimination.

Later that month, the Syrian government announced it had reached a “comprehensive agreement” with the YPG/SDF terrorist organization, aimed at ending internal divisions and launching a new phase of integration.

The government said the agreement covering the northeastern cities of Hasakah and Qamishli and the integration of military forces complements a previous deal signed on Jan. 18.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio