French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot responded to a letter from Senator Pascal Savodelli, who wrote that France should not abandon the Autonomous Administration of Northern and Eastern Syria. Barrot emphasized that France continues to protect the Syrian Kurds and that diplomatic efforts are ongoing for regional stability.

The letter Barrot wrote in response to Senator Savodelli reads as follows: 

All rights of the Kurds must be recognized

“France follows the situation of the Kurds in Syria, our historic allies in the fight against terrorism, with special attention. The bloody repression carried out by Bashar al-Assad against his people since 2011 directly contributed to the rise of the ISIS terrorist threat. Against this threat, France has fought tirelessly alongside the Syrian Democratic Forces within the framework of the International Coalition against ISIS. With the fall of the Assad regime on December 8, 2024, a new hope has emerged for Syria. In this new Syria, Kurds must be fully and equally included as citizens in the reconstruction of Syrian society. Their identity must be reclaimed, and particularly, their cultural rights must be recognized.

The transition process in Syria must be inclusive

France is committed to implementing a peaceful and inclusive political transition process. This approach was reaffirmed by our President during his meeting on May 7 in Paris with Ahmed al-Sharaa, the transitional president of Syria. This political transition must bring together all components of Syrian society.

I am in regular contact with Mazloum Abdi

The agreement in principle reached on March 10 between the new Syrian authorities and the Syrian Democratic Forces is a positive first step in this direction and should, over time, lead to the reunification of Syria and the integration of the Kurds. France has contributed to this process by supporting mediation and dialogue and continues to support negotiations for the full implementation of this agreement. In this context, I am in regular contact with the General Commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces, Mazlum Abdi, whom I met in Erbil on April 24. In our meeting, we discussed ways to ensure the security of the Kurdish population in northeastern Syria.

We have mediated between Turks and Kurds

Additionally, we are working to facilitate the integration of Syrian Kurds into their regional environment. We have conducted a mediation effort between the Kurds of northeastern Syria and Turkish officials. In our regular consultations with Turkish authorities, we have called on them to promote de-escalation, end all forms of conflict, and find a suitable modus vivendi (a form of mutual understanding) for all parties involved. We have also worked to facilitate talks between Syrian Kurds and Iraqi Kurds.”