MOSCOW, February 29. /TASS/. It is impossible to achieve success at the intra-Syrian talks that are due to resume in Geneva on March 7 without Kurds’ participation, representative of the Kurdistan National Congress in Russia Selahattin Soro told TASS on Monday.
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"The Syrian Kurds have raised the issue of their participation in the intra-Syrian talks and are waiting for a decision from Russia and the United States," he said. "We handed over to Russia a list of possible participants in the March 7 talks in Geneva. It includes 15 representatives of the Syrian Kurdistan who favor a peaceful solution to the Syrian crisis."
According to Soro, the Kurds welcome the Syrian ceasefire agreement that came into force overnight on February 27. "We are committed to resolving the Syrian crisis peacefully," he said. "The Kurds are one of the forces speaking out in favor of democracy and protecting the rights of ethnic groups. We are opposed to Syria’s territorial breakup and outside interference in Syrian internal affairs. If the Kurds do not take part in these talks, the problem will not be solved."
For his part, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said earlier on Monday that the intra-Syrian talks would be flawed without Kurds’ participation and that Moscow hoped its partners would revise their positions on this matter. "We have always said and are saying that the situation will be flawed without due account of the Kurdish factor and without their representation at the talks that are called to launch the political settlement process," the Russian diplomat said.