President Nechirvan Barzani today received the UK Chief of the Defense Staff’s Senior Advisor to the Middle East & North Africa, Air Marshal Martin ‘Sammy’ Sampson and his military delegation, to discuss various issues of mutual interest.

President Nechirvan Barzani and Air Marshal Sampson exchanged views on the latest developments and the potential consequences of the ongoing war in Gaza. The President emphasized that the war in Gaza poses a threat to the entire region and stressed that Iraq should avoid being drawn into the conflict, which would only exacerbate the dire and complex situation.

They also addressed the political situation in Iraq and agreed on the importance of maintaining Iraq’s political stability, peace and security. They stressed the need for all parties to act responsibly and protect the international coalition forces and diplomats in Iraq from any sort of attacks.

Turning to the threat of terrorism, both sides agreed that ISIS remains a real threat to the security and stability of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, and preventing its resurgence needs the continued support of the international coalition. Air Marshal Sampson reiterated the continued commitment of the UK, as a member of the international coalition, to Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.

The internal situation in the Kurdistan Region was another topic of their meeting, with both viewing the recent meetings between the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) as a positive development.