ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A prominent United States senator told Rudaw he is optimistic about Syria’s future under its new government, emphasizing that progress depends on the inclusion of all components of the country, namely Kurds and other minorities, in the political process.
Angus King, one of two independent members of the Senate said, “I am optimistic about the future of Syria and the new government is expanding its mandate.” However, he underlined the importance of pluralism, adding, “I hope that they will be able to include the various groups within the country, including the Kurds, the Druze, the Christians, Alawites.”
King added that ensuring broad participation would be decisive for Syria’s trajectory, noting that if this condition is met, he would “look forward to a positive future for Syria.”
The veteran politician’s remarks come days after the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Syria’s interim leadership held high-level talks in Damascus.
The Kurdish-led forces’ chief Mazloum Abdi on Sunday led a delegation to the Syrian capital to discuss the implementation of the March 10 agreement he signed with Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, which calls for integrating “all civil and military institutions” in northeast Syria (Rojava), including the SDF, under state command.
Despite remarks suggesting “good news,” neither side reported concrete progress, with Syrian state media citing “government sources” as saying the talks did not “yield tangible results.”
A key sticking point in finalizing the March accord remains the form of integration, with Damascus favoring the individual absorption of SDF fighters into the army, while the Kurdish-led forces insist on joining as a unified bloc.
Nonetheless, an SDF spokesperson, Farhad Shami, said Sunday that the Damascus and the Kurdish-led forces “agreed to continue holding meetings during the coming phase to complete discussions and follow up on this matter through an organized process until results are reached.”
Diyar Kurda contributed to this report from Washington DC.
