ERBIL — France has started a new initiative to bring the conflicting Kurdish parties in Syria closer to a political solution to the region, said a Kurdish official from Syria.

The ruling Democratic Union Party (PYD) reportedly limits the role of other parties which are united within the alliance of Syrian Kurdish National Council (ENKS). The two sides also disagree over the return of Syrian Kurdish Peshmerga forces — better known as Roj Peshmerga — to Syria.

Mohammed Ismail, a leading member of the ENKS, said in a recent interview that France is ready to mediate and resolve the disputes between the PYD and ENKS.

He expressed his party’s support for the initiative, saying that the issues could only be addressed with the help of an international partner which has influence on the regional politics in Syria.

“We see the initiative as a positive one, but we don’t know yet how it will work in practice,” Ismail pointed out in an interview with KDP website.

However, he said, there is no better alternative than a peaceful agreement between the Kurdish parties that could secure a safer future for the Syrian Kurds.

Bas News