WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 02nd March, 2019) The Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), the political wing of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, is willing to discuss any proposals by Russia on Syria including establishing a working group to normalize the country, Bassam Ishak, co-chair of the council's mission to the United States, told Sputnik.
Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters on Thursday that he discussed with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at their meeting in Moscow on Wednesday the idea of creating a working group including all interested parties that will work on the normalization in Syria after the Islamic State terrorist group (IS, banned in Russia) is eliminated.
"This is my first initial hearing about such an idea. I think we are open to discuss with the Russian officials about any proposals," Ishak said. "Russia is an important political actor in Syria that we have visited many times in Moscow."
A high-ranking source in the Israeli government told Sputnik on Wednesday that the working group will also facilitate the withdrawal of foreign forces from Syria.
The Idlib governorate in Syria's northwest is the last major stronghold of Islamic State (IS, banned in Russia) insurgency, according to Putin. Militants are also present on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River.
Russia, along with Turkey and Iran, is a guarantor of a countrywide ceasefire in Syria, while it also provides humanitarian assistance to Syrian civilians and is actively engaged in dialogue on settlement to the Syrian crisis.
