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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani met with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot in Davos on Thursday, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) said in a statement, noting that the two officials discussed regional developments, including the risk of an Islamic State (ISIS) resurgence amid escalating tensions in Syria.
The KRG noted that the primary focus of the talks was "the war and military escalation in Syria," with both sides expressing their "deep concern regarding the clashes and fighting, which pose a serious threat to regional peace and stability and carry the risk of a resurgence of ISIS terrorists."
Since mid-January, the Syrian Arab Army and affiliated armed groups have advanced into areas held by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in eastern Aleppo, as well as parts of Deir ez-Zor, Raqqa, and the Kurdish-majority Hasaka province.
The SDF serves as the de facto military force of Kurdish-led northeast Syria (Rojava). Until Syria joined the US-led Coalition to Defeat ISIS in November, the Kurdish-led forces were the Coalition’s sole on-the-ground partner, playing a major role in ISIS’s territorial defeat in Syria in 2019.
The escalating tensions have raised concerns among Kurds in Rojava, particularly amid reports that Damascus-affiliated factions facilitated the prison break of a significant number of ISIS members previously held in SDF-secured detention facilities.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) on Wednesday announced that it had transferred 150 ISIS militants from northeastern Syria to Iraq, with plans to increase the number to 7,000.
Regarding the rights of the Kurdish people in Rojava, the KRG statement added that Prime Minister Barzani and Foreign Minister Barrot “agreed on the need to resolve issues through dialogue and negotiation, and to guarantee the rights of the Kurdish people and all other components.”
During the meeting, the French foreign minister conveyed “the greetings and regards of French President Emmanuel Macron to the Prime Minister,” while emphasizing “the further promotion of the friendship and long-standing relations between the Kurdistan Region and France.”
Prime Minister Barzani, in turn, reaffirmed “the Kurdistan Region’s gratitude and appreciation for the continuous support of the French government and people,” the statement said.
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