Preparations are under way in the French capital for a meeting between President Emmanuel Macron and Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander Mazloum Abdi, according to a well-informed source.
The planned talks follow confirmation from a senior official in Syria’s transitional government that Damascus has withdrawn from a broader Paris meeting originally set for August 14, citing tensions over last week’s al-Hasakah conference.
Separate Track Resumed
The source, who requested anonymity, said the Macron–Abdi meeting was “on a separate track” but had been postponed while France worked to arrange a larger gathering bringing together representatives of the transitional government, the SDF, and the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES).
With Damascus now refusing to attend and French mediation effectively replaced by Turkish pressure — formalised in a document signed in Turkey on August 13 — the focus has shifted back to the bilateral meeting between Macron and Abdi.
Some within the AANES believe renewed references to UN Security Council Resolution 2254 signal a possible revival of national-level processes aimed at making the transition period conducive to democratic change and preventing Syria from falling under the sway of any single regional power.
Attempt to Move Paris Meeting to Damascus
Earlier this week, the outlet al-Hal Net reported on an August 11 meeting in Damascus between Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani and Ilham Ahmed, the co-chair of the AANES Department of Foreign Relations. The meeting, held at al-Shibani’s request, sought to relocate the planned Paris talks to Damascus — a proposal Ahmed declined.
On Wednesday, a Syrian security delegation arrived in Ankara for an official visit that included Foreign Minister al-Shibani, Defence Minister Marhaf Abu Qasra, and intelligence chief Hussein Salameh.
Following talks with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, the two top diplomats held a joint press conference accusing Israel of fomenting sectarian strife and chaos in Syria.
Al-Shibani also denounced the August 8 al-Hasakah conference — organised by political and community actors from North and East Syria — as a violation of the March 10 agreement between Damascus and the SDF.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
