Lavrov: Kurds Should Participate in Syrian Process Alongside Other Groups

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Russia sees role of the Syrian Kurds as part of ethnoconfessional and political groups participating in Syria's settlement process.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The Syrian Kurds should be able to take part in the country's settlement process alongside other ethnoconfessional and political groups, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told Kurdish Rudaw broadcaster.

"[Russia sees role of the Syrian Kurds] as part of those groups I talked about. I said that all ethnoconfessional groups should participate in these agreements and to be certain that their rights would be ensured within the Syrian state," Lavrov said, when asked how Russia saw the role and the rights of the Syrian Kurds in the settlement process.

In May, Lavrov discussed with US President Donald Trump the US plan to arm the Kurdish units in Syria, which are fighting the Daesh terrorist group (banned in Russia). According to Pentagon, the United States intend to provide the Kurds with the weapons necessary to free the Iraqi city of Raqqa from Daesh terrorists. This proposal was met with criticism by Turkey which considers Syrian Kurdish militia People's Protection Units (YPG) to be affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a designated terror group in both Turkey and the United States.

In March, Lavrov said that Russia would continue working with Turkey on looking for ways to involve the Kurds in the talks on Syrian settlement, but admitted that it was not a very easy thing to do, given Ankara's position.