RUSSIA has welcomed talks between Syrian Kurdish representatives and the Damascus government, stressing the importance of preserving traditions and cultures within a unified country.

At a press conference on Thursday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova noted that different ethnic and religious groups had long co-esxisted peacefully in Syria.

“We are certain that such historical traditions must be preserved and fully pursued. We proceed in our position that the Syrian Kurds are an integral part of the people of Syria.

“Based on this principled position, Moscow supports the dialogue that is taking place between the Kurds and Damascus about the future order of their common homeland,” she said.

Earlier this week, the influential Syrian Tribal Council called on Kurdish forces to “unify the guns” for the liberation of Afrin and other areas under Turkish and US occupation.

Turkey’s invasion and subsequent occupation of northern Syria has led to the displacement of 300,000 mainly Kurdish people in what has been branded “a genocide.”

The Turkish military’s actions in alliance with jihadist groups have led to accusations of war crimes, including the use of chemical weapons and extrajudicial killings.