Al-Sharaa tells US envoy Syria’s unity is non-negotiable amid renewed talks

Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa received US Special Envoy to Syria Thomas Barrack in Damascus on Sunday, in the presence of Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani, the president’s office has said.

According to an official statement, al-Sharaa reaffirmed Syria’s unity and sovereignty over its entire territory, stressing the importance of dialogue at the current stage and the need to rebuild the country with the participation of all Syrians. He also underlined continued coordination in efforts to combat terrorism.

The talks covered ways to enhance economic cooperation between Syria and the United States, as well as the latest regional developments and issues of mutual interest.

Earlier, Barrack said Washington remains in contact with all parties in Syria and is working to prevent escalation and resume negotiations on integrating the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). In a post on the X platform, he wrote that the United States is working “around the clock to de-escalate the situation, prevent further escalation, and resume talks” on integration.

In a related development, the Syrian Arab Army announced on Sunday that it had regained control of the Euphrates Dam, which had been under SDF control for several years. Turkish state media also reported that Syrian government forces had launched a military operation from the Tal Abyad area near the Turkish border targeting SDF positions.