Russia warns Iraq, Kurds not to destabilize M. East after Kurdish vote

MOSCOW – Russia on Wednesday warned Iraq and the Kurds against taking any steps that might destabilize the Middle East after a Kurdish independence referendum, encouraging both sides to hold talks to find a solution within the framework of a single Iraqi state.

The Russian Foreign Ministry, in the same statement, also said that while Moscow respected the Kurds' national ambitions it favored preserving the territorial integrity of Iraq.