Kurdistan Region delegates to visit Moscow soon

The delegation is expected to visit the Russian capital to discuss the Russian strategy in the fight against Daesh.

Sangar Ali 2015/12/15 13:47

kurdistan Kurdistan

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (K24) – Member of Iraqi Parliament, Arez Abdullah, also a leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) stated on Monday that several delegates from the Kurdistan Region are soon expected to visit Moscow in an official visit.

In a statement to Kurdistan24 TV on Monday, Abdullah said that the delegation is expected to visit the Russian capital "to discuss the Russian strategy in the fight against Daesh [Islamic State]."

As the world is currently divided into two camps in combating Islamic State (IS) -- the United States and Russia, Abdullah mentioned that "Whoever fights Daesh, we are part of that front, no matter it is the Russian or US camps."

He also admitted that so far, the Kurdistan Region receives military aid from the US-coalition camp adding, "Russia has so far not provided any military aid to the Kurdistan Region.”

"All we see from Russia is launching rockets over the Kurdistan Region's airspace targeting Daesh in Syria," he continued, "We haven't seen any support from Russia on the ground level."

"We don't want to be on the side of one camp against the other," he added, "We are from the camp of people of the Kurdistan Region, which is combating Daesh by all means."

Abdullah also mentioned that "to the Kurdistan Region, the policies of Russia in the area are not clear for now and regarding the future."

He stressed that there is "no coordination between Russia and the Kurdistan Region" in the battle against jihadists.

He noted that the recent closures of Erbil and Sulaimani airports, due to Russian rockets passing over the Kurdistan Region's airspace caused concern for the Region and Iraqi federal government.

Abdullah additionally stated that the Kurdistan Region's delegation is expected to visit Moscow "to understand what Russia wants in the fight against Daesh, and what does this support mean for us [Kurdistan Region]?"

He elaborated, "Now we live in an area [Middle East] where it is on the edge of a big change…we should know what the strategy of Russia is in the area."