US welcomes intra-Kurdish dialogue in Rojava

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The United States welcomed the intra-Kurdish dialogue conference set to be held in northeast Syria’s (Rojava) Qamishli on Saturday, a Washington official said on Friday.

“The United States welcomes the resumption of the intra-Kurdish dialogue and looks forward to its continued progress,” a State Department spokesperson told Rudaw. 

At the conference, the ruling Democratic Union Party (PYD), the main opposition Kurdish National Council (ENKS/KNC), and other parties will meet in an attempt to unify Kurdish ranks and collaborate on shaping the future of Syria.

A representative of Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leader Masoud Barzani, Hamid Darbandi, from the Kurdistan Region, will also attend, along with a delegation from Turkey’s pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party).

The PYD and ENKS, which have feuded for years, are expected to form a joint delegation after the conference to present a unified list of Kurdish demands for Syria’s transitional government. 

Previous talks between the PYD and ENKS have been facilitated by members of the US-led global coalition, particularly Washington itself and France. 

In 2015, PYD and ENKS signed a historic agreement mediated by Barzani to reduce tensions between them and establish a power-sharing arrangement in Rojava. However, the deal was never implemented and both sides accused each other of undermining the process, trading harsh rhetoric and allegations of betrayal.