Syrian Kurdish official: relationship with Sweden will have historic results
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – A top official in the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) said on Wednesday that the relationship between Sweden and the AANES will have historic results.
Badran Jia Kurd, deputy co-chair of the AANES, said in an interview with North Press that “this relationship will serve Syria and its people.”
Swedish Special Envoy to Syria Per Orneus arrived in Qamishli on Saturday, heading a delegation that included Thomas Marcus, responsible for the humanitarian issues in the Swedish Foreign Ministry, and Evin Cetin, advisor to the European Institute for Peace.
Since its arrival, the delegation held various meetings with officials in the Autonomous Administration, the Syrian Democratic Forces, the Kurdish National Council in Syria (ENKS) and the Syrian Democratic Council.
Jia Kurd stressed that these developments “will not nullify the principles that the Autonomous Administration believes in in its Syrian patriotic approach and its pursuit of solution and dialogue.”
The Kurdish politician suggested that the upcoming period will witness a supportive European attitude toward the Swedish position in northeast Syria.
Over the past decades, Sweden has been known for its support of Kurdish causes in the region; Jia Kurd said that this confirms its positive vision to “always stand with persecuted peoples who wish to obtain their legitimate rights.”
The official revealed that the relationship with Sweden began with the development of the AANES project in northeast Syria and gradually contributed to expanding its contact with the Autonomous Administration.
“Sweden considers the Autonomous Administration as a pioneering experience, but it needs to develop, and this is normal with the short life of this experience,” he said.
The Kurdish official said “European courts will not remain silent in the face of evidence of violations committed against the civilians in the regions occupied by Turkey in cooperation with those who call themselves the National Army.”
“This openness will result in practical support for the conduct of trials in accordance with international and Autonomous Administration law of ISIS members, in order to declare these areas as areas of stability,” he added.
The official revealed that the Swedish vision is completely consistent with the vision of the Autonomous Administration and its proposal to develop a system for trying ISIS members.
Jia Kurd added that Sweden believes that it should be influential in providing humanitarian support to these areas, whose people defeated ISIS in cooperation with the Global Coalition.