Northern Syria representatives to be received at Elysée Palace

After the announced US withdrawal from Syria, France demands security for the people of the north of the country.

As representatives of the Federation of Northeast Syria, Syrian Democratic Council (MSD) Co-chair Riad Dirar and MSD Executive Council Co-President Ilham Ehmed will be received at the Elysée Palace in Paris on Friday.

The upcoming visit was announced by PYD representative in France, Halid Isa, to AFP. The reception was confirmed by the Elysée Palace.

In February 2015, then French President François Hollande had received then PYD Co-Chair Asya Abdullah and YPJ Commander Nesrin Abdullah together with Halid Isa. In late March this year, at the time of the occupation of Afrin, President Emmanuel Macron met with a delegation from northern Syria at the Elysee Palace.

“Safety of the population must be ensured”

Meanwhile, the French Foreign Ministry said in a recent statement on the US withdrawal notice from Syria that the security of the people of the north of the country must continue to be guaranteed. The Ministry highlighted that the United States, in its withdrawal, would have to consider the security of the peoples and the stability of the region, so that human dramas and a return of the Islamists can be averted.

“The fight against terrorism must continue”

Other government members of France have previously contradicted the presentation of Trump that the ISIS has been defeated. "The fight against terrorism is not over," said Europe Minister Nathalie Loiseau on Thursday in Paris. She referred to the attack in Strasbourg with five dead on 11 December and noted that therefore France remains for the time being military engaged in Syria.

France's Defense Minister Florence Parly also contradicted US President Trump and stated on Twitter that the ISIS was "not deleted from the map and must be definitely defeated militarily".