Erbil, Kurdistan Region, July 25, 2023
President Nechirvan Barzani received Cardinal Louis Raphaël Sako, the Patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans, and his accompanying delegation in Erbil today.
In a meeting, on the recent revocation of an Iraqi presidential decree regarding the Chaldean Catholic Church, President Nechirvan Barzani reiterated the importance of Iraq including the Kurdistan Region to embrace all religious and ethnic communities, and expressed hope that the President of Iraq would resolve the issue soon.
President Nechirvan Barzani reaffirmed that coexistence and mutual acceptance are uncompromising values and principles, and that Iraq’s strength lies in remaining a country for all communities, and protecting the rights of all.
For his part, Cardinal Sako expressed his gratitude for the support of President Nechirvan Barzani and stressed that the Kurdistan Region is a land of coexistence and mutual acceptance and a source of pride for them. Patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans reassured that the current situation will not prevent him from carrying out his commitments and duties or from continuing to protect Iraq and its peaceful coexistence.
The situation in the Nineveh Plains and other issues related to the status of the Church and the Christians were also highlighted during the meeting which was also attended by the Minister of Endowments and Religious Affairs of the Kurdistan Regional Government.
