The Syrian government on 10 July reiterated its rejection of any federal or decentralised system for the country and called on Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters to enter the ranks of the Syrian Arab Army. The statement followed a meeting in Damascus between interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa and SDF commander Mazloum Abdi that was attended by US ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria, Tom Barrack. Damascus said it remained committed to the principle of “One Syria, One Army, One Government,” warning that delays in implementing the 10 March integration accord risk undermining national stability. It invited SDF members to integrate “within approved constitutional and legal frameworks” while insisting that administrative and security control of the north-east must return to the central government. Sources close to the talks said the SDF delegation insisted on preserving its own military structure and demanded broader local administrative powers in predominantly Kurdish areas. Barrack, who has been mediating between the sides, acknowledged the SDF’s role in defeating Islamic State but pressed the group to accept that its future lies within a unified Syrian state. No timetable for further negotiations was announced.