Macron meets AANES representatives in Paris
Shafaq News/ French President Emmanuel Macron received a delegation that included representatives of the Autonomous Administration and civil society in northeastern Syria, an area mainly controlled by Kurds and forces opposing the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.
The French presidency said in a statement that during the meeting, Macron stressed, "the need to continue working to establish political stability in northeastern Syria."
For her part, the official in the Autonomous Administration, Berivan Khaled, who participated in the meeting told AFP that the discussion focused in particular on France's support for the international community's recognition of the Kurdish Autonomous Administration.
The delegation also included Ilham Ahmed, co-chair of the Syrian Democratic Council, and Ghassan Youssef, one of the leaders of the Civil Council of Deir Ezzor.
Macron commended the, " fighters' courage" in northeastern Syria and the sacrifices they made against ISIS, adding "we will continue to fight terrorism alongside the Syrian Democratic Forces,” according to the statement.
Macron promised that France would proceed with its “humanitarian work” in northeastern Syria, where Paris had spent “more than 100 million euros since the occupation of Raqqa,” the former stronghold of the Islamic State, in 2017.
The meeting came two days after Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was sworn in for a fourth term after winning 95.1% of the votes in the elections that took place on May 26, which were harshly criticized by the West and the opposition.
