Mazloum Abdi, Syrian FM meet with Rubio at Munich conference

NEWSROOM — Syrian Kurdish leader Mazloum Abdi, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria foreign relations co-chair Ilham Ahmed met Friday with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.

The meeting brought together key figures from opposing sides of Syria’s recent conflict to meet Rubio as a team. Images circulated on social media showed Abdi and al-Shaibani shaking hands after the talks.

Speaking to reporters afterward, a smiling Abdi said: “The meeting went well. We discussed integration, the question of the Kurdish people, and the status and future of Syria. In general, it went well.”

He acknowledged challenges remain. “There is a ceasefire but there are issues, too. We are trying to solve these issues,” he said.

Abdi’s attendance at the conference marks a significant appearance for the Syrian Kurdish leader as Syria’s political future remains in flux.

Syria’s government and the Kurdish-led SDF reached a broad agreement in late January to gradually integrate Kurdish military and civil institutions into the state after weeks of clashes ended in a ceasefire. The deal followed assaults by the Syrian Islamist regime and allied militias that forced Kurdish forces to withdraw into Kurdish-majority zones.

Under the agreement, three army brigades are to be formed from SDF units, with a separate brigade for Kobani.

This is a developing story and has been updated