Erbil, Kurdistan Region
Thursday, December 12, 2024

President Nechirvan Barzani met with Mr. Boris Pistorius, Germany’s Minister of Defense, and a delegation comprising members of the German Bundestag, military officials, and diplomats.

The meeting was attended by Vice President Sheikh Jaafar Sheikh Mustafa, the Minister of Peshmerga Affairs, the Chief of Staff of the Peshmerga, the German Ambassador to Iraq, and the Kurdistan Regional Government Representative in Germany. The discussions covered recent developments in Syria and potential implications for the mission and operations of international coalition forces combating ISIS. The overall situation in Iraq was also discussed. Perspectives were also shared as to Germany's relations with both Iraq and the Kurdistan Region in various areas.

President Nechirvan Barzani expressed the Kurdistan Region's gratitude for Germany's continued and wide-ranging support to Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. He praised Germany's role in supporting Iraq and the Kurdistan Region in the fight against ISIS, as well as commending Germany for its assistance with the reunification process for the Peshmerga. Germany was also thanked for its assistance to minority communities such as the Yazidis.

For his part, Defense Minister Pistorius stressed his country's commitment to ongoing and developing assistance to Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. He also expressed his satisfaction with the role German forces were playing in the Kurdistan Region and stressed that they would continue in the same way.

The Kurdistan parliamentary elections, initiatives to establish a new government, the relationship between Erbil and Baghdad, as well as various other matters of mutual concern were also touched on.