Syrian Kurdish delegation meets French president amid UN recognition push

A delegation from the Kurdish-led administration of northeast Syria met with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Monday, amid a push by the movement for recognition by the United Nations.

The two sides discussed "how to ensure a peaceful, democratic and equitable solution" to the Syrian crisis, according to a statement from the administration. 

One delegate told local media that the meeting was at the invitation of France. 

The meeting took place on the ninth anniversary of a takeover of northeast Syria by Kurdish-led forces, following the withdrawal of the regime from these areas in 2011. This followed a revolt against the regime in other parts of Syria in March 2011.

The anniversary has galvanised action on social media, with the hashtag #Status4NorthandEastSyria used in more than 130,000 tweets.

The administration also released a statement marking the anniversary, appealing to the UN to recognise its authority.

"In order to realise the dreams of the Syrian people indiscriminately and initiate a peaceful change, this revolution relies on the development of a decentralised system, which it has presented as an alternative," the statement read.

In May, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) recommended to the US government that it recognise the Kurdish-led administration as a political entity, in order to protect religious freedom in the area.

Kurdish-led authorities have enjoyed somewhat strong relations with France, with French parliamentary and humanitarian delegations visiting northeast Syria to express solidarity and condemned Turkey's military interventions in Kurdish-controlled parts of Syria.

French reluctance to repatriate IS-linked citizens from camps and prisons in northeast Syria has tested ties.