Rome, Italy (KRP.org) – Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani arrived in Rome on Wednesday to meet with the Pope and Italian government officials.

During his two-day visit, the President held separate meetings with the Italian Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini, President of the Italian Senate, Mr. Pietro Grasso, and with the chairman and members of the senate foreign relations committee.

The meetings focused on bilateral ties, the political developments in Iraq- particularly after the recent parliamentary elections, the Syrian refugees, and the situation of Christians in Iraq and in Kurdistan.
In the meeting with Foreign Minister Mogherini, she said she is pleased with the status of her country’s economic and political relations with the KRG and that her country will soon upgrade her country’s diplomatic representation to a full consulate general.

On the situation of refugees in Kurdistan, the foreign minister commended the KRG for taking in refugees not only from Syria, but also Arabs and Christians from other parts of Iraq. She expressed her country’s willingness to help the KRG in its efforts to support these refugees.

The two also discussed the political developments in Iraq and efforts to form a new government after the recent elections. In this regards, President Barzani said that the Kurdistan Region has formed a unified negotiation team for talks with other Iraqi parties. He stated that the people of Kurdistan cannot wait another ten years for their legitimate and constitutional demands to be addressed. If these demands are not addressed, then the KRG leadership would ask the people of Kurdistan through a referendum to decide on their future relationship with Baghdad.