The Syrian government has said it will not attend planned talks in Paris with Kurdish-led representatives. This follows a meeting of minority groups in Kurdish-controlled territory that called for a decentralised political system.
State media outlet SANA quoted a government official saying the conference had “undermined ongoing negotiation efforts.” The official added that Syria would not join talks “with any party seeking to restore the former regime under any pretext or cover.”
The official urged international mediators to hold future talks in Damascus. He described the capital as “the legitimate and national venue for dialogue among Syrians.”
Government seeks national integration after Assad’s removal
Syria’s current government was formed after rebel groups removed former president Bashar Al Assad in December. It aims to consolidate control across the country and bring all armed groups into state security forces. This follows more than 13 years of conflict.
While many groups have joined, the US-backed Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have not. They agreed in principle to integrate under a March deal but have not yet complied.
Last month, Syria, France, and the United States said they would arrange talks in Paris “as soon as possible.” The goal is to discuss how to integrate the Kurdish autonomous administration into the Syrian state. This step is important for the government’s plan to rebuild the economy and infrastructure.
Minority groups call for decentralisation and new constitution
On Friday, hundreds of ethnic and religious minority representatives met in the SDF-controlled city of Hassakeh. They called for a decentralised state and a new constitution. This constitution should guarantee religious, cultural, and ethnic diversity.
They also condemned recent attacks on minorities. These attacks mostly targeted Alawites, Druze, and Christians. The group described these acts as crimes against humanity.
The government has said it plans to hold elections next month and start drafting a new constitution. However, no clear timeline has been given.
Disagreement over federal system proposal
At the conference, Alawite spiritual leader Ghazal Ghazal called for a decentralised or federal political system. This system would protect the rights of all communities.
The idea of a federal system was also proposed by SDF commander Mazloum Abdi. However, the government has rejected it.
A government source quoted by SANA said religious and ethnic groups can share political ideas. But they should not impose these ideas as the foundation of the state. The source described the conference as “an alliance of parties opposed to the Syrian people’s recent victory and the end of the previous regime.” The source added it included groups trying to control representation by force of the current situation.
