Foreign ministers of European Union member states met in Brussels on Monday to discuss developments in Syria, including the rights of ethnic and religious groups in the country. Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad also attended parts of the meetings.
During the gathering, Rudaw asked EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas whether the European Union would raise the issue of Kurdish-language education with Syrian officials.
Rudaw asked:
“Will you be speaking with Assad Shambani about the issue of education in Kurdish?”
In response, Kallas said:
“Yes, we will address these issues because also the question of minorities and their rights to have education in their own language in Syria. Of course, more broader, all the majorities, all the groups that are living in Syria, but of course, the Kurds issue also comes up.”
She added that the discussions would include the rights of all communities living in Syria, while emphasizing that Kurdish issues remain part of the broader dialogue.
The issue comes as negotiations continue between the Syrian government and the Autonomous Administration in northeast Syria over the future integration of institutions in the region.
One of the main points of debate is the status of the Kurdish language in schools and public institutions across Kurdish-majority areas, commonly known as Rojava. Kurdish authorities have long demanded official recognition of Kurdish-language education and administration.
