The US administration renewed its commitment to exert efforts aimed at a political solution to the conflict in Syria, pledging to maintain stability in northeast Syria, and the delivery of stabilization assistance to liberated areas to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS.
This came during the visit of US delegation to northeast Syria, headed by the Acting Assistant Secretary Joey Hood, joined by Deputy Assistant Secretary and Acting Special Representative for Syria Aimee Cutrona, Deputy Envoy for Syria David Brownstein, and White House National Security Council Director for Iraq and Syria Zehra Bell.
The delegation met with senior officials of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), ranking council members and tribal leaders from Raqqa, Coalition military counterparts, and humanitarian actors.
The State Department issued a statement indicating that the Acting Assistant Secretary emphasized the US commitment to support all efforts toward a political resolution of the Syrian conflict.
Hood also reiterated that the United States would continue to be a leader in the Syrian humanitarian response while working with like-minded countries to ensure the re-authorization of cross-border assistance into Syria.
On Sunday, the delegation arrived in Erbil where it met with Kurdistan region President Nechirvan Barzani, to discuss the situation in Iraq and Kurdistan.
The meeting also addressed the Baghdad-Erbil relations, the upcoming legislative elections, ISIS resurgence, the efforts of the international coalition, and the situation in Syria.
The Kurdish presidency stated that the two parties agreed that ISIS remains a serious threat to peace and security in Iraq, adding that Baghdad and Erbil need the international coalition’s support to defeat ISIS.
The delegation affirmed that Washington would continue to assist and support its allies in the region against ISIS, noting that it is important for the Syrian Kurdish parties to maintain dialogue aiming to reach an agreement.
The delegation also reiterated the US support for Peshmerga forces in their battle against ISIS, stressing, during its meeting with Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, the need to activate the joint coordination centers between the Peshmerga forces and the Iraqi army.
Discussions also covered the latest developments in Syria. The delegation reiterated the importance of the ongoing talks among Kurdish groups in Syria towards resolving their outstanding issues.
