Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani visited His Holiness Mar Gorgis III, the new patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East in Erbil today to congratulate His Holiness and to welcome the relocation of the seat of the Assyrian Church of the East from Chicago, USA, to Erbil.

Hi Holiness Mar Gorgis III was consecrated as the new patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East on Sunday, in a ceremony that also marked the relocation of the seat of the Church to Erbil.

The President lauded the decision to bring the seat of the Assyrian Church of the East to the Kurdistan Region, describing it as a significant and historic development that will positively contribute to peaceful co-existence in the region. The President said that there shall be no place for religious discrimination in the Kurdistan Region. President Barzani emphasized that the rights of Christians and all other religious and ethnic communities in Kurdistan will be protected. 

For his part, His Holiness Mar Gorgis III welcomed President Barzani and expressed their appreciation for the efforts of the President and of the KRG for their support of the religious and ethnic minorities. He added that Kurdistan offers a notable example of peaceful co-existence in the Middle East. He also praised the bravery and sacrifices of the peshmerga forces in defending religious and ethnic communities in the fighting against ISIS terrorists. 

In a message on the occasion of the Muslim Eid of Al Adha, Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani congratulated the Muslims of Kurdistan and the whole world. He also talked about the presidency issue and the need for a speedy resolution of this issue. 

"At a time when our people are going through a challenging time and is facing major threats, there was no need to approach the presidency issue in the way it has been handled. I have done what I was required to do (by law) by calling for elections before the end of the presidency’s tenure but it was not possible to conduct elections. 

"Earlier, I had on several occasions called on the political parties and the parliament to resolve this issue but to no avail. I have not in any way requested to stay on as president. I reject all notions that there are no candidates to succeed me. I am very concerned about how this issue has been protracted. The people of Kurdistan have the right to complain, especially when we are facing pressing issues like the disputes with Baghdad, the economic crisis, the drop in oil prices, the large number of displaced people in Kurdistan, and above all the fight against the ISIS terrorists."

The President further stated that, "If the current 5-party meetings do not succeed, all political parties- those in parliament and those outside the parliament, must convene in order to reach a suitable solution. I fully understand the rule of law and I, more than anyone else, should respect the law. I suggest that that all political parties make a decision that, before 2017, the powers and the election mechanism of the president be formulated in the constitution so that the people will have the final say on this matter. Whether I stay on as president or not, should not become part of the problem of deciding on the powers and mechanisms for electing the president, as these are two separate issues. "

President Barzani paid tribute to the resilience of the people of Kurdistan and thanked them for their patience.

"I greatly appreciate the patience of the people of Kurdistan for standing firm in the face of current challenges. I also understand the problems that our youth face. I ask them that instead of leaving their country, they should strengthen their hope. We have serious problems but we can overcome them. The reform process that we started several years ago should be rejuvenated. No crisis can stand in the way of our people to decide their future. My priority is the realization of the right of our people to decide their future and to end the threat of ISIS on our people," said the President at the end of his statement.

Salahadin, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, (Krp.org)- President Masoud Barzani received a United Nations delegation today at his office. The delegation was headed by Mr. Jan Kubis, the Secretary General's Special Representative for Iraq and head of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq, UNAMI. During the meeting President Barzani and Mr. Kubis spoke of a number of issues including the current political situations in Baghdad and Erbil. They also discussed the military advances of the Peshmerga and Iraqi forces against the terrorists of the Islamic State.

Mr. Kubis commended the Kurdistan Region's role in continuing to provide assistance for refugees from Syria and IDPs from the rest of Iraq, adding that Kurdistan "has been, for years, an island of stability," and hoped that that would continue.

Salahadin, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, (Krp.org)- President Msoud Barzani received Mr. Tibor Stimari, Hunagry's ambassador to Iraq. President Barzani began the meeting by expression his satisfaction towards Hungary's military support for Iraq and the Kurdistan Region in the current war against the terrorists of the Islamic State, adding that such support from coalition members is of immense importance to the Kurdistan Region and Iraq. President Barzani and ambassador Stimari also spoke of the ongoing advances made by Iraq and the Kurdistan Region against the terrorists of the Islamic State.

Ambassador Stimari reiterated Hungary's support for Kurdistan, stating that the ongoing war against the terrorists must receive the support of all coalition members. 

President Barzani and ambassador Stimari also spoke of the political situation in the Kurdistan Region where President Barzani reiterated his stance that there are no political differences which can affect the stability of the Kurdistan Region and that the stability for which the Region has been known will continue and will only be enhanced.

Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani met with a delegation from the United States Institute of Peace headed by Nancy Lindborg, President of the Institute. 

The President and the USIP delegation discussed the political and security developments in Iraq and in the wider region, in particular the plight of IDPs and refugees in Kurdistan and the recent wave of refugees and migrants heading to Europe. 

Nancy Lindborg briefed the President about her Institute’s capacity-building and training programs in Kurdistan in cooperation with the KRG, and thanked the KRG for their support. She also praised the generosity of the KRG in taking in close to 2 million IDPs and refugees, including protection provided for Christian and Yezidi minorities. 

President Barzani thanked the USIP for its activities and its support of the KRG and expressed his full support to their operations in Kurdistan.

Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani today welcomed Australia’s new Ambassador to Iraq, Christopher Langman. The President and the Australian Ambassador reviewed the fight against ISIS, including Australian contribution in air support to peshmerga, political and security developments in the country, and the situation of IDPs and refugees in Kurdistan.

Ambassador Langman paid tribute to the bravery and sacrifices of the peshmerga forces in the fight against ISIS, and reiterated his country’s commitment to continue to support the peshmerga forces as part of the international coalition against ISIS.

Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani today met with US Ambassador to Iraq Stuart Jones, US Presidential Deputy Special Envoy to the Global Coalition to Counter ISIS Brett McGurk, and senior US military generals to discuss the status of the fight against ISIS. 

They discussed the ongoing efforts to defeat ISIS in both Iraq and in Syria and preparation for the liberation of Mosul, including cooperation and coordination among the peshmerga, the Iraqi, and the coalition forces.
They also discussed the political developments in the country and relations between Erbil and Baghdad.

Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani welcomed Norway’s Foreign Minister Borge Brende and Norway’s Defense Minister Ine Marie Eriksen Søreide in his office in Salahaddin today. 

In their meeting, President Barzani and the Norwegian Ministers discussed Norway’s role, as part of the international coalition against ISIS, in supporting the peshmerga forces with training and capacity building. They also discussed political developments in the country and in the wider region.

Foreign Minister Brende commended the role of President Barzani in leading the peshmerga forces against ISIS terrorists and for his personal involvement in supervising battles in the front lines against the terrorists. He reiterated his country’s commitment to continue to support the peshmerga forces in confronting the terrorists’ threat. 

President Barzani thanked Norway’s for its support and expressed his hope that this cooperation can be further strengthened. He said the with the support of Norway and other coalition partners the peshmerga forces have been able to stand up to the ISIS terrorists and inflict many losses on them. 
On the political developments in Kurdistan, the President said that what is happening is a natural outcome of a democratic process, emphasizing that the political disputes between the parties have not in any way affected the morale of the peshmerga forces. 

The President and the Norwegian delegation also discussed developments in Syria and in Turkey. On the current conflict between Turkey and the PKK, the President said that the only solution is going back to negotiations, and the KRG is ready to help restart the peace process.