Baladi News
President Emmanuel Macron on Friday hosted representatives of the Kurdish-led force, assuring them of France's support in the fight against remaining ISIS militants in Syria.
The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) had in late March announced flushing out ISIS from their last bastion in Syria but still warn the jihadists remain a threat in places.
Macron assured the SDF representatives, who were not named, of the "active support of France in the fight against Daesh which continues to be a menace for collective security," the presidency said in a statement, using an Arabic acronym for ISIS.
Particularly important was the support in the "handling of terrorist fighters held as prisoners along with their families."
Macron also vowed that financial support would be allocated to "respond to the humanitarian needs and the socio-economic stabilization of civilian populations in Syria."
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian had in April announced one million euros ($1.1 million) in humanitarian aid for camps housing displaced people, notably Al-Hol which holds thousands of women and children who lived in ISIS-held areas.
France's past contacts with the SDF's Syrian Kurds have angered Turkey, which regards the YPG as the Syrian branch of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).
Macron also made clear of the importance to Paris of "the security of Turkey and a de-escalation along the Syrian-Turkish border," the presidency said.
Source: Dialy Mail Online.