A delegation from the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) met with representatives of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Moscow on 15 September, Hawar News Agency (ANHA) reported.

The Press Office of the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) was quoted stating that the AANES delegation headed by Ilham Ehmed, co-president of the Executive Council of the AANES, met with the Russian delegation headed by Mikhail Bogdanov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Russian President’s Special Envoy for the Middle East.

“Political solutions to the Syrian crisis in the context of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 2254, participation of the SDC in political processes in Syria and Turkey’s violation of Syrian sovereignty were discussed in the meeting,” the statement said.

UNSC Resolution 2254 of 18 December 2015 calls for a ceasefire and political settlement in Syria, and was invoked by Iran, Russia, and Turkey as the legal basis for the political process required to solve the Syrian conflict in the first round of the Astana Talks in January 2017.

The SDC’s US representative Bassam Saker told the Russian news portal Sputnik that during the meeting Ilham Ehmed had raised the issue of Turkish attacks in northern Syria and asked Moscow to facilitate talks with the Syrian leadership.

“She complained that Ankara was violating an agreement with Russia by launching attacks in northern Syria. Russia has promised to address the issue,” Saker said.

As for the participation of the AANES representatives in the political process in Syria, “Russia has promised to help facilitate a meeting between the Syrian Kurds and Damascus,” he added.

Ehmed is also expected to visit Washington for meetings with US officials to discuss continued support for the AANES, which faces constant attacks by Turkey and affiliated armed groups.