MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Hijazi said that the council was holding a meeting in Turkey's Gaziantep with representatives of the United States, the Netherlands and Italy on running the province after its liberation from Daesh terrorists.
"We are holding a meeting in Gazantiep with the Italian and US sides, as well as the Netherlands’ special envoy for Syria … They are proposing to merge two councils in Turkey – [ours] and the Kurdish assembly in Ayn Issa to govern the province of Raqqa, govern the city through creation of police comprising locals, as well as to create a counterterrorism body, also comprising locals," Hijazi said.
Mohammad Hijazi also said that the Coulcil of Raqqa also hopes to hold a meeting with Russian representative to discuss the same issue.
"We hope that we will have contact with the Russian side, that we will meet with them in Turkey. There should be diversity, the Russian side is very welcome in our province of Raqqa… I, as deputy head of the council, ask for a meeting with the Russian special envoy or the Russian ambassador," Hijazi said.
According to Hijazi, the Raqqa council comprises mainly locals. Simultaneously, the Raqqa Civilian Assembly, founded by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), is operating in the region.
"An international conference of two councils will take place in mid-September in Rome. The Italian representative proposed to convene the conference in Italy as it is a neutral territory acceptable for all sides. Italy promised to train [Raqqa] policemen," Hijazi said.
