Russia concerned over military escalation in the Kurdistan Region

"We have serious concerns regarding the military escalation in the northern regions of the country, including in the autonomous Kurdistan Region."
Russian First Deputy Permanent Representative at the UN, Dmitry Polyanskiy (Photo: UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe)
Russian First Deputy Permanent Representative at the UN, Dmitry Polyanskiy (Photo: UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe)

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Russian Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Dmitriy Polyanskiy at the UN Security Council (UNSC) briefing on the situation in Iraq underlined that Russia has “serious concerns regarding the military escalation in the northern regions of the country, including in the autonomous Kurdistan Region.”

He stated in his speech that this “took a heavy toll on civilians, including children. Our heartfelt condolences go to the families of the deceased. We stress again that civilian immunity must remain a priority.”

On Sept 28, Iran bombed Iranian Kurdish opposition parties in the Kurdistan Region with 73 missiles and dozens of drones. During the attack at least 14 people were killed and nearly 60 others were wounded.

This included one mother and her child, who was born on the same day of the attack.

“We share the opinion of Iraq’s President B.Salih that his country must not turn into an arena for “settling scores”,” Polyanskiy said.

However, at the same time he said Russia took notice of a “statement made by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), according to which the recent attacks that Iran has taken responsibility for were a response to a serious threat to the security of the country posed by terrorist groups based in the Kurdistan Region.”

Moreover, the Russian official noted the recent UN Secretary-General’s report on ISIS attacks in Iraq. “We would like to underscore that this challenge can be effectively opposed only through the maximum broad coordination of counter-terrorist efforts,” he said.

Therefore, he said that “that all those who are involved in fight against terrorism in Iraq need to respect sovereignty of the Iraqi state and coordinate their actions with the country’s official authorities.”

Oil and gas

Furthermore, the Russian official welcomed the resumption of dialogue between “Baghdad and the autonomous Kurdistan Region that should address their current contradictions, mainly in the oil and gas area.”

Iraq’s Federal Court  in February said the Kurdish oil and gas “unconstitutional”, a a claim the Kurdish authorities have strongly rejected, and described as “politically motivated”.

However, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has repeatedly underlined they are open to dialogue with Baghdad to solve their disputes according to the Iraqi constitution. 

“We are convinced that further settlement will help respond to challenges of ethnic and confessional nature and engage the economic potential effectively in the interests of the entire Iraqi nation,” Polyanskiy concluded.