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Kurdish representatives to attend Syrian National Dialogue Congress in Sochi — diplomat

The congress is scheduled for January 29-30, 2018

MAGADAN, January 27. /TASS/. Representatives of Kurdish political forces will attend the Syrian National Dialogue Congress due in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi on January 29-30, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Rossiya’1 television channel on Saturday.

"They are coming," she said noting that "it was not easy" to invite Kurds’ representatives to Sochi "since so many players had been doing everything possible so that Kurds, even not Kurds but their representatives, could not come."

Russia’s position remains steadfast that "it will be extremely difficult to go ahead without Kurds," she added.

"We reiterate that broad dialogue about future of the big country, where the Kurdish population matters, will be otherwise impossible," Zakharova said.

The Syrian National Dialogue Congress in Sochi pursues the key goal of providing a political platform for Syrian political forces where they, including the Kurds, will be able to "speak about their country’s future."

"It is not an issue of either some sort of self-awareness or our ambitions," she added.

"We hold enough international events that we have been hosting with success within the Russian Federation. We give every opportunity to political parties, opposition, including Kurds, by providing infrastructure for them and our political influence on the situation. We are providing them with special opportunities so that they can start talking about their country’s future."

The Syrian National Dialogue Congress is due to take place in the Russian Black Sea resort city of Sochi on January 29-30, 2018. The peace conference is expected to bring together about 1,500 participants from the entire spectrum of Syria’s political forces. The congress is expected to set up a commission drafting a new Syrian constitution.

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