Russia supplied arms to Iraqi Kurds through official Baghdad — Lavrov

MOSCOW, January 26. /TASS/. The supplies of Russian arms to the Iraqi Kurds were made through official Baghdad, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at an annual news conference.

According to him, practically as soon as the terrorist threat emerged, when supplying arms to Iraq, Russia took into account the fact that both the government army and the Kurdish militias were fighting against the Islamic State terrorists . "We took into account the Kurds’ needs in the supplies of our arms to Iraq, but these supplies were made through the central government, through Baghdad," the minister said. "We fully respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq."

UN Syria envoy should decide on Kurds participation in talks

The foreign minister also dwelled on the role of Syrian Kurds in the settlement of the Syrian conflict. The minister noted that the decision on the Kurds participation in the inter-Syrian talks should be taken by United Nations Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura and Russia will not veto it.

"It will be the most serious mistake not to invite Kurds (for inter-Syrian talks), but we will not impose any veto," Lavrov said.

"This is the right of Staffan de Mistura," he said. The UN Syria envoy should be aware of his responsibility and should not shelter himself behind Russia and the United States, Lavrov added.