Conference Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria

On 8 December 2023, the European Syriac Union (ESU) held a successful conference at the Polit-Forum Bern, which provided an in-depth insight into the current situation in north-east Syria. The event with guests from Syria attracted a wide range of participants and provided space for lively discussions on key topics.

The conference was enriched by high-calibre guests, including:

• Nazira Goreya, Co-Chair of the Syriac Union Party in Syria and retired Executive Council of AANES.
• Badran Chiya Kurd, Co-Foreign Representative of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES)
• Lukas Reimann, National Councillor of the Swiss People's Party (SVP)
• Daniel Glaus, SRF specialised editor for extremism

In her speech, the co-chair of the Syriac Union Party, Nazira Goreya, emphasised the importance of Switzerland as a role model for the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) due to its federal system. Badran Chiya Kurd reported on the challenges facing the AANES. Lukas Reimann, National Councillor of the Swiss People's Party (SVP), praised the ESU for the excellent organisation of the conference and emphasised the organisation's many years of cooperation and commitment. He assured that he would continue to advocate for the concerns of the Syriac in the Swiss parliament. The professional moderation by Daniel Glaus and his input presentation about his experiences in Syria contributed significantly to the success of the event.

The conference began at 14:00 and lasted two hours, followed by an aperitif that lasted a further 60 minutes. This gave attendees the opportunity to exchange ideas with the guests.
The lively discussion and the diverse perspectives of the speakers made the conference a significant and informative event. The ESU would like to thank all participants and speakers for their committed participation and contribution to the discussion on the challenges in north-east Syria.