What does MSD seek in its consultative meetings abroad?

The Syrian Democratic Council (MSD) seeks to complete its project to gather the largest possible number of opposition spectra in order to unite the Syrian opposition by starting a round of meetings and consultations abroad after the Syrian-Syrian dialogue at home.

The Syrian Democratic Council continues its activities and events to present the experience of the Autonomous Administration (AA) of Northern and Eastern Syria by holding meetings at home and abroad to resolve the Syrian crisis. In this context, the council initiated a series of meetings, seminars, consultative meetings and workshops abroad with the Syrian opposition. The most recent of which was a workshop on the issues of the roadmap to resolve the Syrian crisis and the AA's experience in northern and eastern Syria, and mechanisms to hold the "National Conference of Democratic Opposition Forces" in June 29-30 in Paris.

In order to highlight the recent activities of the Syrian Democratic Council, we held an extended interview with the co-chair of Syrian Democratic Council (MSD), Riyad Derar.

What are the reasons for the recent meetings, seminars and workshops held abroad?

During the previous three conferences held in Ain Issa and Kobani, we addressed most calls to opposition figures, blocs and political parties inside Syria. The presence of these parties and the response to the invitations of the Syrian Democratic Council were not in the required level due to their association with other political orientations, besides, they do lack the political decision and return to some other political parties, while others are reluctant to attend within these three meetings because of their association with the Syrian regime, which has become evident, although we stressed the need to dialogue and invited them to negotiate, sit down and dialogue with everyone, and with all the parties to reach solutions and paper constitutional future for Syria, and women have a role in the future of Syria, and to plan and map the future to resolve the Syrian crisis, as for those who attended these three meetings, their positions were positive about the map at hand to resolve the Syrian crisis.

During the three conferences held in Ain Issa and Kobani under the title of the Syrian-Syrian Dialogue, we focused on the need to gather the Syrian opposition at home and abroad, and in the framework of acquaintance and cooperation on the future benefits, and in order to convey the idea and experience of the Autonomous Administration and its political and social developments to all parties, its project to combat extremism and terrorism, the experience of stability and construction at home, its openness to political forces at home and abroad, and to emphasize that the experience that was introduced in the north and east of Syria is a criterion and a measure of the future in decentralized democratic administration to resolve the crisis Syria, so we have to hold such meetings and workshops now abroad.

What is MSD's Future plan, program abroad?

We are in the process of holding other consultative meetings in Vienna in the middle of next month, after which we will hold meetings, seminars and consultative workshops in Germany. We will also be holding meetings, seminars and consultative workshops in Egypt in the near term.

What political, opposition parties are invited, are invitations sent to personalities or opposition political blocs?

The parties invited to hold this type of meetings and consultative meetings, mostly are independent opposition figures and opposition youth groups abroad, who worked to develop perceptions and ideas outside the role of the negotiating body and the Syrian Coalition, for reasons that these opposition parties abroad have views contrary to the conduct of the negotiating body and the Syrian Coalition, in order to correct the course of the revolution, so it was necessary to go to these parties without the other names that became famous but did not accomplish in the political work of revolution, nothing but speeches and slogans.

What were the discussions and items discussed during the consultative workshops in Paris?

At Paris workshop, there were 3 main points, the first of which was the definition of the Autonomous Administration. They were deeply considered and discussed at length, as there were many questions and criticisms among the attendees in the workshop about this experiment. These questions were clearly clarified and corrected. The second point dealt with the road map that emerged from the recent meetings under the title of the "Syrian-Syrian Dialogue" held in Kobani and Ain Issa, which provides for the achievement and identification of the next tracks to reach a solution to the Syrian crisis, during which many points were received and the third point was about the mechanisms of the National Democratic Opposition Conference. During this point, people, parties and blocs were discussed that might be called to draw a positive image capable of leading the next stage after the future call for holding a conference before reaching the desired National Democratic Conference.

You mentioned in your speech the call for the National Democratic Opposition Conference, what is the purpose of this conference?

Certainly, the aim of the National Democratic Opposition Conference in the future and current meetings and workshops is to connect with all the Syrian opposition factions, and to convey the true and correct picture of the work of the Syrian Democratic Council and the AA of Northern and Eastern Syria away from what some enemies and opponents are circulating about us without any justification only because they were not part of it, thus one aspect we seek to transfer is the facts of those directly involved.

Besides, we target to unite the biggest spectra of the opposition on a sole goal: uniting the democratic opposition and excluding the parties far away from the concept of democracy with other objectives, which lead us to define what the democratic call that we commit to and call the opposition parties to it, and we want to give a picture of Syria where a centralized government does not contradict the autonomous administrations that develop themselves in their regions and for participatory local democracy to representational democracy embodied in the people's assembly or council representing all regions, then seeking mechanism to forming the government, the presidency, parliament and others.

 Do you think that will help solve the Syrian crisis, stop Syrian bloodshed?

We believe that the call of the democrats will determine the course of dealing and cooperation with the international community because they will draw a practical road map, which can face the coming benefits with the international parties that are influential in the Syrian crisis.

The Syrian Democratic Council held several meetings and forums under the title of the Syrian-Syrian Dialogue, the first of which began in the town of Ain Issa in 18 and 19 July under the slogan "Syrian-Syrian Dialogue, Meeting and Construction" after its third conference, which was one of the main items to hold a dialogue between Syrian parties that believe in a peaceful solution and an end to the Syrian crisis. Therefore, at the invitation of the Syrian Democratic Council, a wide spectrum of political forces, parties, academicians, independent persona and civil society activists gathered.

 The Syrian Democratic Council, abbreviated as MSD, is one of the most active parties in Syrian geography and representative of many ethnic and racial components and minorities. The establishment of the Syrian Democratic Council came at the heart of a sensitive phase in relation to the Syrian crisis in December 9, 2015.



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