Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq (dfr.krg.org) – Today the President’s Chief of Staff, Dr Fuad Hussein, the Head of KRG Department of Foreign Relations, Minister Falah Mustafa, and the Head of KRG Department of Media and Information, Minister Safeen Dizayee briefed diplomats and representatives of international organizations on the latest developments.
Minister Mustafa thanked diplomats and representatives of international organizations for their attendance and gave an overview of the recent agreement between Erbil and Baghdad, the fight against Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), as well as humanitarian and financial challenges facing the Kurdistan Region.
“We have always preferred to resolve our disputes with Baghdad through dialogue and negotiation. The recently reached agreement is a temporary agreement but we consider it a good start. It is in the interests of both Erbil and Baghdad. We are committed to continue our cooperation with Baghdad in order to finalize more lasting agreements on all of outstanding issues between Erbil and Baghdad,” Minister Mustafa commented on the agreement.
Minister Dizayee, who was a member of the KRG delegation to Baghdad, said “The atmosphere of the meeting was very positive. Both sides were determined to reach a mutually beneficial agreement and we saw real desire by Prime Minister Abadi and member of his cabinet to resolve outstanding issues with Erbil.”
Highlighting the advances of Kurdistan’s Peshmerga forces against the ISIS terrorists, Minister Mustafa said, “Thanks to the support of our coalition partners that have provided our forces with military equipments, weapons, and training, and thanks to the bravery of our Peshmerga forces, we have managed to regain control of the vast majority of territory that had been occupied by the ISIS in early August.”
Dr. Hussein emphasized, “Achieving greater security success and stability in Iraq will largely depend on progress in the political process. A genuine power sharing among the Kurds, Shiites, and Sunnis is the only possible way forward.”
Minister Mustafa also updated the attendants on the latest humanitarian developments and the needs of refugees and internally displaced persons who have taken refuge in the Kurdistan Region. He added, “KRG has made concerted efforts to alleviate the sufferings of refugees and IDPs but with our limited resources we are unable to provide adequate relief and assistance.”
Referring to the impact of financial and security challenges on the economic process in the Kurdistan Region during the past several months, Minster Mustafa said, “Today, with the new agreement in hand for revenue sharing and energy, and with steady progress against ISIS, we look with optimism to the period ahead.”
During the meeting, Dr Hussein and Minister Dizayee provided more details on the recent agreement between Erbil and Baghdad as well as the security and economic cooperation between both sides in the face of current challenges.
Consul General of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Fayiz F. Khouri, the new Dean of the diplomatic corps, thanked the DFR for arranging the meeting and expressed his gratitude for the comprehensive briefing on behalf of the diplomats. During the meeting, diplomats and representatives exchanged thoughts on the recent developments. They commended KRG for sheltering hundreds of thousands of refugees and IDPs and highly praised the role of Peshmerga forces in the fight against ISIS terrorists.
The meeting was attended by diplomats from Jordan, Palestine, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Turkey, Poland, United Kingdom, China, Germany, Russia, Hungary, Egypt, Italy, Romania, The Netherlands, South Korea, Czech Republic, Iran, France, Bulgaria, Japan, UNAMI.