A delegation from the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) visited Moscow, where it met with Russian Foreign Ministry representatives, amidst reports of Russian-led mediation to open a dialogue with the Assad regime.
In a statement, the SDC said that the visit — which began on Wednesday — came at the invitation of the Russian Foreign Ministry. The statement noted that Ilham Ahmed, the SDC’s president, led the delegation that met with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov.
The Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement concerning the visit, which said that the meeting had discussed several issues. Most notably, these issues covered the situation in northeastern Syria, as well as ways to settle and find a political solution for Syria.
Moscow has stressed the need for continued effective dialogue between the SDC and the Assad regime “to reach appropriate agreements that meet the legitimate aspirations of all Syrian citizens, while also taking into account the regional characteristics and cultural diversity of Syria.”
Autonomous Administration delegations make frequent visits to Russia, with the most recent Moscow visit being made by Ahmed in September 2020. During that visit, Ahmed met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
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The Moscow visit included the signing of an agreement with the People’s Will Party, headed by Qadri Jamil. That agreement stipulated that “the new Syria is a united Syria, both in terms of territory and its people. Syria is a democratic state that guarantees equal citizenship and social justice, and prides itself in all aspects.”
“The Autonomous Administration is an objective necessity and a societal need related to the country’s circumstances. It responds to the needs of the region produced by the crisis,” the memorandum of understanding said.
SDC announces meeting with two opposition delegations and discusses two points
The dialogue between the Autonomous Administration and the Assad regime has recently been completely suspended. This development was announced by Ilham Ahmed last October.
According to Ahmed, all attempts by the Autonomous Administration to reach understandings with the Assad regime had failed. She said that the regime has torpedoed those attempts at agreement.
“The Russians have shown their willingness to play the role of guarantor, but they have failed in this role,” Ahmed said, as quoted by the Hawar news agency.
In mid-2018, the SDC announced the start of “unconditional” talks with the Assad regime on political and military issues. An SDC delegation, headed by Ahmed, made a public visit to the capital Damascus for the first time, during which the delegation met with regime officials.
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.
