ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov acknowledged Friday that Damascus does not seek talks with the Kurdish administration in northeast Syria (Rojava) because of the latter’s position in the past. Answering Rudaw’s Kamiz Shadadi in a press conference in Moscow, Lavrov said that Syrian Kurds' opposition against the Syrian regime in the past prevent dialogue between both now. Damascus is trying to avoid talks with Rojava “because the Syrian government has not forgotten that Kurds used to be from the anti-government front. Actually, diplomacy dictates that the past should be left behind and future relations should be erected,” said the Russian FM. He also said that he has met with Rojava officials several times for the sake of talks between Kurds and Damascus. Syrian Kurds have established an autonomous administration since 2012, one year after the Syrian conflict began. Although Rojava has not entered an armed conflict with the regime, there have been some skirmishes between local security forces from both sides. Lavrov, whose government is the main backer of Syrian regime, also said that Kurds who are included in Syria’s committee to prepare a new constitution do not represent all Kurds. “In Syria, Kurdish issue is one of the obstacles before a proper dialogue … There are Kurds in the constitutional committee but they do not represent all Kurdish institutions. Some of the institutions which are excluded from the process of constitution have linked themselves to the US while some others have linked themselves to our neighbour, Turkey,” he noted. When the US abandoned the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the face of a Turkish military operation in 2019, many Kurds became disappointed with Washington. Lavrov told Rudaw during the Friday press conference that the SDF reached out to them with the hope that Moscow can facilitate talks between Damascus and the SDF. However, when the US decided to stay in Syria, the SDF stayed away from talks with the Syrian regime, added the Russian top official. “Apparently, this is how life is but the politicians, here I mean the Kurdish politicians, should have a long-term vision in order to see opinions,” he said. The US has troops in Kurdish-held areas and Washington sees the SDF as its main ally on the ground in the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS). The US has also excluded Rojava from its sanctions on Syria. However, Lavrov claimed that “it is not the US that will determine the fate of Syria. The US, like other countries in the world, expresses its commitment for the territorial integrity of Syria, but in practice it encourages separatist attempts east of the Euphrates River.” The Russian foreign minister also talked about the relations between the Kurdistan Region and Rojava, noting that “Iraqi Kurds [should] pass their experience to their brothers and sisters in Syria.” In relation to the US military presence in Iraq, Lavrov claimed that “The US tries to turn not only Syria but Iraq too into an arena for a war with Iran and its interests.” He wondered why the US still has military presence in Iraq despite a decision by the Iraqi parliament for the withdrawal of foreign troops. The combat mission of the US-led global coalition against ISIS ended in Iraq in late December, and their mission changed to an advisory one.
