French Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pascal Confavreux delivered a message to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), saying the agreement between the SDF and the Syrian government is its best opportunity at the moment.
Speaking during a meeting with Syrian journalists in the French capital, Paris, attended by Enab Baladi on Tuesday, February 10, Confavreux urged the SDF to implement the agreement with the government.
Confavreux said Paris played a particular role in the agreement between Damascus and the SDF and, at the same time, maintains close ties with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, which enabled it to convey messages from the Syrian government to the SDF.
“We are close to the Syrian state and to the SDF, because we have shared a decade of fighting and worked together against the Islamic State group,” he said.
He added, “We were among the first countries to visit Damascus in January 2025, and the first to receive Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. Days later, Washington announced the removal of sanctions on Damascus. Our goal is a unified Syria and supporting its recovery.”
France has been among the SDF’s key supporters in recent years, particularly during its fight against the Islamic State group from 2017 to 2019.
It has also been among the leading supporters of integration agreements concluded between the Syrian government and the SDF.
Meeting in Erbil
The SDF Media Center said a meeting was held in Erbil, in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, bringing together SDF commander Mazloum Abdi and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot.
Senior figures attended, including Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) commander in chief Rohlat Afrin and Ilham Ahmed, co chair of the External Relations Department of the Autonomous Administration.
According to the statement, the talks focused on ways and mechanisms to implement the January 30 agreement, which lays the groundwork for a new phase in relations between the SDF and Damascus with international backing.
The two sides also discussed continued cooperation in combating the Islamic State group and securing detention centers holding its members and their families in the area.
Abdi said on X that the talks covered sensitive files related to the rights of “the Kurdish people” and guarantees for the return of displaced people to their areas in Afrin (northwestern Aleppo governorate) and Ras al-Ayn (northeastern Syria, in al-Hasakah governorate), as well as integrating SDF military formations into the Syrian government’s military institution.
What is the January 30 agreement?
According to a joint text published by the Syrian government and the SDF on January 30, the agreement includes the withdrawal of military forces from contact lines and the entry of Interior Ministry security forces into the centers of al-Hasakah and Qamishli (both in northeastern Syria) to enhance stability and begin integrating security forces in the region.
Militarily, it includes forming a military division with three SDF brigades, as well as establishing a brigade from the Kobani Forces (Ayn al-Arab) within a division under Aleppo governorate.
The agreement also includes integrating Autonomous Administration institutions (the SDF’s governing arm) into Syrian state institutions, while formalizing the employment status of civilian staff.
It also refers to settling the civil and educational rights of the Kurdish community and guaranteeing the return of displaced people to their areas.
According to the joint statement, the agreement aims to unify Syrian territory, enforce the law, and achieve full integration in the region by enhancing cooperation among the parties involved and unifying efforts to rebuild the country.
Macron comments
Commenting on the agreement, French President Emmanuel Macron congratulated his Syrian counterpart, Ahmed al-Sharaa, and SDF commander Abdi on reaching the deal, announcing France’s support for its full implementation.
In a post on X in Arabic, Macron said France will continue to support Syria and the Syrian people on the path toward stability, justice, and reconstruction, in coordination with its partners.
He affirmed France’s support for “a sovereign, unified, and stable Syria that enjoys peace, respects all its components, and is fully engaged in fighting terrorism.”
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