Moscow stresses that all problems in Syria's north should be solved through dialogue

NUR-SULTAN, Oct 9  -- All the problems in Syria's north-east should be solved through dialogue between Damascus and Kurds, Sputnik news agency reported, quoting  Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Saturday that Ankara could launch a military operation in neighbouring Syria, east of the Euphrates River, in the coming days, to clear the border area of Kurdish militias, seen as terrorists in Turkey, create a security zone and accommodate Syrian refugees there.

"We have repeatedly articulated our position on the events in Syria's north-east, including near the Syrian-Turkish border. Our position is clear, and we assume that all the problems in this area of the Syrian Arab Republic should be solved through dialogue between the central government in Damascus and representatives of Kurdish communities that are traditionally living there," Lavrov said at a joint press conference with his Kazakh counterpart, Mukhtar Tleuberdi.

Moscow is committed to promoting the dialogue between Kurds and Damascus, since it sees it as "the only way toward stability," Lavrov noted.

"Yesterday, we took note of statements by Damascus officials and Kurdish representatives, saying that they are ready for this dialogue. We will try to do everything possible to promote the beginning of this direct substantive dialogue. We expect all the major foreign players to support it," Lavrov said.

During their recent phone conversation, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has confirmed that Ankara respects Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity, Lavrov stressed.

-- BERNAMA