Russia, US call Syrian Kurdish factions to separate talks

The two main Syrian Kurdish groups on Monday said they were officially invited by Russia and the United States to attend meetings on the Syrian crisis in Moscow and Washington.
kurdistan24.net

QAMISHLO, Syrian Kurdistan (Kurdistan24) – The two main Syrian Kurdish groups on Monday said they were officially invited by Russia and the United States to attend meetings on the Syrian crisis in Moscow and Washington.

At the end of the peace talks backed by Russia and Turkey in Kazakhstan last week, the Russian Foreign Ministry officially invited the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and the autonomous administration of Rojava to a series of meetings in Moscow.

The spokesperson of the People’s Protection Units (YPG)-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Talal Silo spoke to Kurdistan24 regarding Russia’s invitation for the PYD and its military group.

“Russia knows well we control wide areas of Syrian territories and we are fighting the Islamic State,” he said.

Additionally, Silo pointed out the SDF should take part in the Moscow talks to reach a solution for the Syrian crisis.

According to the foreign representative office of the Rojava autonomous administration in Paris, the Moscow meetings come as preparations for the fourth round of Geneva talks (Geneva 4) are expected to be held on Feb. 8.

Additionally, members of Syria’s Kurdish National Council (ENKS), PYD’s opposition, said they were invited by the US Department of State to attend talks in Washington.

“This is a diplomatic gain for ENKS to be officially invited by the US Department of State,” said Hasan Ramzi, an ENKS member.

None of the parties invited to Moscow and Washington disclosed any further details about the potential meetings.

It is worth mentioning the ENKS was invited to the Astana talks as part of the Turkey-backed Syrian opposition, while the PYD and its military groups were excluded.

Moreover, Syrian peace discussions held in 2016 known as Geneva III also excluded the main Kurdish groups in line with the wishes of Turkey.

 

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany
(Additional reporting by Dilovan Chatto from Qamishlo)