Syria Kurdistan's envoy to Russia, Rodi Osman, argued on Friday that all ethnic groups in Syria should be included in the United Nations peace talks which are set to recommence on Monday in Geneva. "We think that these should not be two-way negotiations - between the official Damascus and the opposition group set up in Riyadh. The representatives of all the ethnic groups living in Syria should take part in the talks" Osman told Russia's Tass news agency, "They should discuss the creation of a social and political union so that the rights of no ethnic group are violated." Despite the fact that the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) plays a significant role in Syria's future it isn't included in the peace talks. Osman blames Turkey for this saying that Ankara has been purposely "obstructing" the PYD's participation. He also recalled that the UN's special envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura believes Syria's Kurds should be permitted to participate and even "shares the view of Russia's authorities on the issue of the Kurds participation in the intra-Syrian talks."
