Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq (dfr.gov.krd) - The Chief of Staff to the Kurdistan Region President, Dr Fuad Hussein, and the Head of the Department of Foreign Relations, Minister Falah Mustafa, today briefed diplomats and representatives of international organizations on the latest security, humanitarian and political developments.
Minister Mustafa thanked diplomats for attending the session and for their confidence in the stability and security of the Kurdistan Region. He gave an overview of the security, humanitarian and political developments in the Kurdistan Region.
The Minister expressed appreciation of the people of Kurdistan Region to the members of the Counter-ISIS Coalition for supporting Kurdistan Region in the fight against international terrorism. He also thanked members of the international community, UN agencies and international organizations for providing humanitarian assistance to the refugees and displaced people who have fled to the safety of the Kurdistan Region.
Dr. Fuad Hussein, Chief of Staff to the President, briefed the diplomats on the political and legal challenges facing the issue of the presidency of Kurdistan Region. He announced “We are taking the legal and political challenges pertaining to the issue of presidency very seriously. The five major political parties are engaged in lengthy negotiations to reach a consensus on that matter.”
“We are a democracy in the making. Our political parties have chosen to resolve their differences through dialogue and negotiation. We consider this as a very positive development in the democratic process of the Kurdistan Region,” the Chief of Staff to the President added.
During the meeting several diplomats reiterated their support for the Kurdistan Region and praised democratic maturity of Kurdish political parties.
On behalf of the diplomatic corps, the Consul General of Palestine, who serves as the dean of the diplomats, Nazmi Hazouri, thanked the DFR for the briefing and highlighted the importance of a united and strong Kurdistan Region for the regional peace and stability.
Consul General of the Republic of France, Alain Guépratte, conveyed “The French authorities are closely monitoring developments in the Kurdistan Region. We have confidence in the Kurdistan Region and we fully support the region’s effort to overcome the current challenges. We believe that the political parties will be able to reach a consensus on the issue of the presidency of the Kurdistan Region.”
Head of the Consular office of the Republic of Italy, Carmelo Ficarra, stated, “Italy shares the same sentiment of France towards Kurdistan Region. Italy believes in the stability and security of the Kurdistan Region and it will continue to support the region in all fronts.”
Head of the UNAMI Regional Office in Erbil, Sokol Kondi, expressed the support of the United Nations to the stability of the Kurdistan Region. “Political differences need to be resolved through dialogue and negotiation. I commend the Kurdish political parties for seeking democratic tools to reach an agreement on the issue of Presidency of the Kurdistan Region, this is a positive step forward in the democratic process of this region,” he added.
Several other diplomats including representatives of UK, Iran and Kuwait exchanged thoughts on the developments in the Kurdistan Region.
The meeting was attended by representatives of Palestine, Republic of France, United Arab Emirates, Republic of Turkey, People’s Republic of China, United Kingdom, Republic of Italy, Republic of South Korea, Federal Republic of Germany, Republic of Romania, Islamic Republic of Iran, Russian Federation, Republic of Hungary, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, State of Kuwait, Kingdom of Netherlands, Arab Republic of Egypt, United States of America, Czech Republic, Canada, Republic of Bulgaria, Republic of Sudan and UNAMI.