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Putin assures legal rights of Kurds will be observed

Russia has always had very special relations with the Kurdish people, Putin said

Kurdish Iraqis holding Kurdistan flags EPA/KAMAL AKRAYI

Kurdish Iraqis holding Kurdistan flags

© EPA/KAMAL AKRAYI

MOSCOW, December 23. /TASS/. Russia's President Vladimir Putin is sure the Kurds' legal rights will be observed, but Russia is not going to interfere with the inner Iraqi processes.

"As for sovereignty, independence of whatever parts of whatever countries, my position is we shall be acting in the framework of the international law and in the long run the rights of the Kurdish people, the legal rights will be observed," he told an annual news conference on Friday.

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The Russian president said how it will be done and in what forms - will depend on Iraq and on the Kurdish people.

"We have been in contact and we shall remain the contacts with Bagdad, with Erbil, but we shall not interfere with the inner Iraqi processes."

Russia always had very kind, special relations with the Kurdish people, Putin continued.

"The Kurdish people have their own, very complicated fate," he said. "We can see what is happening now in the Middle East. I can confirm and say the Kurdish military units in fighting terrorism are very courageous and they fight effectively."

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Foreign policy Vladimir Putin

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