ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot is set to begin a regional tour on Thursday, his ministry announced, with Syria as the first stop. The visit comes shortly after Barrot recently said that he would be in the region to “verify the implementation” of a recent ceasefire deal France helped broker between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Syrian interim government.
Barrot is set to begin his tour in Syria before traveling to Iraq and Lebanon, French Foreign Ministry Deputy Spokesperson Pascal Confavreux said during a press briefing on Wednesday.
“The minister's visit to Damascus, Baghdad, and Beirut is a mission of verification and guarantee,” Confavreux said, adding that “France intends to ensure that the commitments made on January 18 are not merely words on paper, but a lived reality for all Syrians, particularly the Kurdish populations of the northeast [Rojava].”
In mid-January, the Syrian Arab Army and allied armed groups advanced into areas previously held by the SDF - the de facto military force in Rojava - including parts of eastern Aleppo, Deir ez-Zor, Raqqa, and the predominantly Kurdish Hasaka province.
The SDF, a key on-the-ground ally of the US-led Global Coalition to Defeat the Islamic State (ISIS) - which France is a key member in - had controlled those regions after liberating them from the extremist group in a bid to prevent its resurgence.
On Friday, Damascus and the SDF announced an internationally brokered ceasefire agreement, facilitated mainly by France and the United States. The deal builds on a previous agreement announced by Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa on January 18 and includes a comprehensive ceasefire as well as a phased plan to integrate military and administrative forces in Rojava, including the SDF.
Barrot said on Monday that “it is essential that this agreement - which simultaneously preserves the security and political rights of the Syrian Kurds and ensures the security of the prisons in the northeast - is fully implemented. I will be on the ground to verify this with our partners.”
Erbil and Baghdad
From Syria, Barrot is expected to continue his tour to Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.