Moscow Will Facilitate Dialogue Between Kurds, Damascus - Deputy Foreign Minister

ARK News: Moscow intends to facilitate dialogue between the Syrian regime and the PYD, and remains in contact with all parties interested in the Syrian settlement, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said on Monday.

"Of course, we have contacts with all parties interested in a peaceful settlement based on the principles of respect for the sovereignty and unity of Syria," he said when asked whether Moscow would facilitate a dialogue between the PYD and the Syrian regime.

In early November, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin said Moscow was ready to assist talks between the PYD and Damascus on YPG of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) joining the Syrian regime’s army.

On 9 October, Turkey launched “Operation Peace Spring” in northeastern Syria to clear the area of the SDF militants.

The United States and Turkey came to an agreement on 17 October for a 120-hour ceasefire to allow the withdrawal of the SDF fighters from the Syrian-Turkish border. As the five-day ceasefire came to an end, Turkey and Russia reached a deal involving the pullback of the SDF fighters from the 18-mile safe-zone on the Syria-Turkish border for the further accommodation of Syrian refugees currently residing in Turkey. In addition, Moscow and Ankara have begun joint patrols in the operation zone along the Turkish border.

On 29 October, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced that the pullout of the SDF militants from the safe zone had been finished ahead of schedule.

Source: Sputnik

433