![SDF logo and French President Emmanuel Macron speaking at an event at the Elysee Palace in Paris on January 6, 2025 [Photo: AFP]. Graphic: Rudaw.](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.rudaw.net%2Fs3%2Frudaw.net%2FContentFiles%2F844167Image1.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday reiterated his country’s support for Syrian Kurds, saying they will not abandon “freedom fighters.”
France would not abandon "freedom fighters, like the Kurds" who are fighting militant groups in Syria, AFP cited the French president as saying while addressing French ambassadors during an event held at the Elysee Palace.
His remark comes days after French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot emphasized during an unprecedented visit to Damascus that “a political solution must be found with France's allies, who are the Kurds, so that they can fully participate in… [Syria’s] political process that begins today.”
France is an active member of the US-led coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS) and maintains a military presence in northeast Syria (Rojava).
The French minister also called for a ceasefire in the Kurdish-held areas in northern Syria as Turkey and the Syrian militia groups it supports have intensified their attacks on the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which control much of the region and serves as the primary partner of the coalition on the ground in the fight against ISIS.
Following the Friday trip by the French foreign minister and his German counterpart, both ministries said in a joint statement that the security interests of Kurds should be protected in Syria.
No ‘naivety’
"We must regard the regime change in Syria without naivety," Macron said in his speech.
A coalition of rebel groups, spearheaded by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), ousted the Bashar al-Assad regime last month and now oversees the Syrian transitional government.
Ahmad al-Sharaa, better known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, Syria’s current de facto leader, has repeatedly affirmed that the rights of all components will be protected under the new administration.
In a recent interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, SDF chief Mazloum Abdi expressed a willingness to integrate the SDF into the new Syrian army, contingent on reaching a “suitable formula through negotiations.”
Sharaa and a top SDF delegation met last week to discuss the future of their relations and Rojava. Informed sources told Rudaw that the outcome of the meeting was “positive.”
