German President Seeks 'New Partnership' With Morocco

Morocco's King Mohammed VI arrives for a lunch at the Elysee Palace as part of the One Planet Summit in Paris, France, December 12, 2017. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer
Morocco's King Mohammed VI arrives for a lunch at the Elysee Palace as part of the One Planet Summit in Paris, France, December 12, 2017. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer
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German President Seeks 'New Partnership' With Morocco

Morocco's King Mohammed VI arrives for a lunch at the Elysee Palace as part of the One Planet Summit in Paris, France, December 12, 2017. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer
Morocco's King Mohammed VI arrives for a lunch at the Elysee Palace as part of the One Planet Summit in Paris, France, December 12, 2017. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier invited Morocco’s King Mohammed VI to visit his country in order to “establish a new partnership” between Rabat and Berlin, the Moroccan Royal Court announced in a statement on Thursday, following a diplomatic crisis last year.

The statement said that the German president, in a message addressed to King Mohammed VI on the occasion of the New Year, praised Morocco’s “effective engagement in the peace process in Libya.”

The statement said that Germany “welcomes the vast reforms undertaken under the leadership of His Majesty the King” Mohammed VI, considers the autonomy initiative as a “good basis” for the settlement of the Moroccan Sahara issue and expresses its “gratitude” for his active engagement in the peace process in Libya.

Berlin’s criticism of a US decision to recognize Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara in late 2020, was a major reason for Rabat’s announcement of suspending all forms of communication with the German embassy last March.

However, relations between the two countries saw some improvement recently, as the Moroccan foreign ministry announced two weeks ago its intention to resume “normal” diplomatic ties with Germany, a day after the German Foreign Ministry published a statement confirming that its position on the Sahara conflict “has not changed for decades.”

On Dec. 22, Morocco welcomed the “positive declaration and constructive positions that were recently expressed by the new federal government of Germany.”

The ministry added that these positions “allow the resumption of bilateral cooperation and the normal operation of diplomatic representations of the two countries in Rabat and Berlin.”

Morocco’s authorities had summoned the country’s ambassador in Berlin, two months after the decision to suspend all contact or cooperation with the German embassy in Rabat. A statement by the Moroccan foreign ministry said at the time that Germany had accumulated hostile attitudes that violated the country’s higher interests.



Syria Reaches Deal to Integrate SDF within State Institutions, Presidency Says

A handout picture released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) shows Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa (R) shaking the hand of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander-in-chief Mazloum Abdi after the signing of an agreement, to integrate the SDF into the state institutions, in the Syrian capital Damascus on March 10, 2025. (SANA / AFP)
A handout picture released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) shows Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa (R) shaking the hand of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander-in-chief Mazloum Abdi after the signing of an agreement, to integrate the SDF into the state institutions, in the Syrian capital Damascus on March 10, 2025. (SANA / AFP)
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Syria Reaches Deal to Integrate SDF within State Institutions, Presidency Says

A handout picture released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) shows Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa (R) shaking the hand of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander-in-chief Mazloum Abdi after the signing of an agreement, to integrate the SDF into the state institutions, in the Syrian capital Damascus on March 10, 2025. (SANA / AFP)
A handout picture released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) shows Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa (R) shaking the hand of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander-in-chief Mazloum Abdi after the signing of an agreement, to integrate the SDF into the state institutions, in the Syrian capital Damascus on March 10, 2025. (SANA / AFP)

The Kurdish-led and US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which controls much of Syria's oil-rich northeast, has signed a deal agreeing to integrate into Syria's new state institutions, the Syrian presidency said on Monday.

The deal, which included a complete cessation of hostilities, was signed by interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and the SDF's commander, Mazloum Abdi.

Under the deal, whose text was posted online by the presidency, all civilian and military institutions in northeast Syria will be integrated within the state, which will thus take over control of borders, airports and oil and gas fields.

The SDF agrees to support the government in combating remnants of deposed president Bashar al-Assad's regime, and any threats to Syria's security and unity.

Since Assad was overthrown by Sharaa's Islamist forces in December, groups backed by Türkiye, one of Sharaa's main supporters, have clashed with the SDF, the main ally in a US coalition against ISIS militants in Syria.

The SDF is spearheaded by the YPG militia, a group that Ankara sees as an extension of Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants who have fought the Turkish state for 40 years.

Türkiye regards the PKK, YPG and SDF as terrorist groups, and Sharaa's new Damascus administration had been pressing the SDF to merge into newly-minted state security forces.

Abdi had previously expressed a willingness for his forces to be part of the new defense ministry, but said they should join as a bloc rather than individuals, an idea that was rejected by the new government.

The US and Türkiye’s Western allies list the PKK as a terrorist group, but not the YPG or the SDF.