Putin to Kurdistan24: We understand sensitivity of Kurdish cause
The Russian President on Thursday praised the Kurdistan Region Peshmerga forces in the fight against terror and said that Russia’s relations with Kurds would continue.
Speaking to a Kurdistan24 correspondent in Moscow, Vladimir Putin praised the role of Kurdish forces in the fight against terrorism and reiterated Russia-Kurds good relations.
“We are always been in good relations with the Kurds and there is no reason to end such relations with Kurds,” Putin said. “We have to fulfill our current mission which is the war against terrorism,” he added.
Regarding the cooperation between Russia and Kurdistan Region, Putin referred to the last visit of the Region’s delegation headed by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) PM Nechirvan Barzani, stating “Such relations will be further developed and we actively work with Iraq on the matter.”
“We understand the sensitivity of the Kurdish cause,” Putin said, and referring to the Kurdistan Region independence referendum added that “our position on the matter has been clear since long time ago; our position would be within the international law.”
In a meeting on June 7, chaired by the Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani, the political parties in Kurdistan agreed to hold an independence referendum on Sep. 25, 2017.
In reaction to that decision, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova on June 8, said that “Russia supports the unity and territorial integrity of the Iraqi state with unconditional respect for and observance of the legitimate rights of all its ethnic and religious groups, of which the Kurds are the largest.”
Source: Kurdistan24
