The negotiations between the Syrian government and the “Syrian Democratic Forces” (SDF) have reached a deep impasse. France has come up with an initiative to resume them, proposing to move the meeting from Paris to a neutral territory in one of the Arab countries.
According to diplomatic sources, Paris has offered Damascus and the SDF Jordan, Saudi Arabia or Iraqi Kurdistan as alternative venues. In addition, the French side is discussing with the SDF the possibility of expanding the circle of guarantor countries of a potential agreement, including regional powers, such as Turkey.
However, this initiative has faced the firm position of the Syrian government. Damascus insists that any negotiations be held exclusively on its territory, arguing that the dialogue with the SDF is an internal affair of Syria, which should be resolved without external interference.
Sources familiar with the situation note that the current crisis is just a consequence of an earlier rupture. Political dialogue was frozen even before the dispute over the meeting venue, after Damascus refused to participate in the negotiations in response to the conference organized by the SDF in Hasaka last year.
At the moment, there are no signs of an early resumption of full-fledged political negotiations. Nevertheless, contacts between the parties have not been completely interrupted: they continue at the level of coordination and “prevention of escalation” under the patronage of Washington and Paris.
