On 8/8/2014 Dr. Yusif Muhammad Sadiq, Kurdistan parliament president, received UN representative in Erbil. Dr. Yusif explained the current events in Kurdistan; especially the war between Kurdish forces and the terrorist groups named ISIS, and also clarified the life condition of Izadis and Christians in Musil, Shangal, and Shekhan.

Regarding the Christian and Yazidi families who were forced to leave their living places, Dr. Yusif said, “I want UN to support those families as soon as possible because they live in a very difficult situation”. He added,” Terror is a serious threat not only for Kurdistan but for all the countries in the region; it has an international dimension now and is really dangerous for international community. For this reason international community should cooperate with Kurdish Peshmarga in order to beat terrorists.

Showing his pleasure for the meeting and the information given by Kurdistan parliament president, Sokol Kondi, the representative of UN in Erbil said, “We as UN in the Kurdistan region never ignore the current events in Kurdistan and do our best to give necessary assistance to the refugees”. 

Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq (DFR.KRG.org) – The KRG Department of Foreign Relations and the KRG Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs today briefed diplomats and representatives of international organizations based in Erbil on the latest security, humanitarian and political developments.

The Head of the KRG Department of Foreign Relations, Minister Falah Mustafa, thanked the diplomats for their attendance and discussed the security threat posed by the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) to the Kurdistan Region, Iraq and the entire Middle East. Minister Mustafa said, “ISIS considers all who do not share their ideology as enemies. They are against the fundamental principles of humanity.”

He added, “We are dealing with a terrorist organization with members across the world, and it is a threat to all. Fighting ISIS is not only the responsibility of the Kurdistan Region. Terrorism is an international threat, and therefore the international community has a responsibility to support the KRG as it combats ISIS.”

The Minister asked diplomats to urge their countries to take action. “We have received expressions of appreciation and gratitude from the international community as we provide a safe haven for refugees and IDPs and combat a ruthless terrorist organization. It is now time for the international community to step forward, urgently, and provide the KRG with humanitarian assistance and military support, particularly air support.”

Jabar Yawar, official spokesperson of the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs, briefed diplomats about military developments on the ground. Highlighting the Peshmerga forces’ urgent need for military support, he said, “Prior to the withdrawal of the U.S forces and long before the fall of Mosul, 100,000 Iraqi soldiers, 20,000 American soldiers, and the Peshmerga forces were jointly protecting the line between the Kurdistan Region and the rest of Iraq, which is 1050 km. Unfortunately, the Peshmerga forces are now alone in protecting those areas with their limited military weaponry.”

Highlighting the ongoing humanitarian crisis on Mount Sinjar, Minister Mustafa called upon the international community to provide urgent support, including humanitarian aid and air transportation, for the thousands of families stranded on the mountain.

The Minister addressed the tension between Erbil and Baghdad, stating that “the federal government has not sent the Kurdistan Region any share of the federal revenue, in violation of the Iraqi Constitution. Meanwhile, the political process in Iraq remains at an impasse.”

Egyptian Consul Soliman Osman, Dean of the consular corps, expressed his gratitude for the briefing on behalf of the diplomats. During the meeting, several diplomats and representatives exchanged thoughts on the recent developments.

The meeting was attended by diplomats from Egypt, France, the Russian Federation, Jordan, Palestine, the United States of America, Turkey, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Iran, Italy, Romania, France, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Korea, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, Poland, Romania, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Greece, the United Nations, and the EU’s Humanitarian Aid Organisation, ECHO. 

The meeting was also attended by senior officials from the KRG Department of Foreign Relations.

Erbil, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, (krp,org)- President Masoud Barzani received a United Nations delegation today in Erbil headed by the Secretary General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon. The delegation consisted of several UN officials who were accompanying the Secretary-General in their visit to the Kurdistan Region following the latest political and security issues in Iraq, which have led to the fleeing of tens of thousands of Iraq Arabs to the Kurdistan Region. Mr. Ban Ki-moon took the opportunity to thank President Barzani and the Kurdistan Regional Government for their role in providing security for the displaced Iraqis who have found in the Kurdistan Region a secure refuge in the recent weeks. Mr. Ban Ki-moon added that the Kurdistan Region's response to the current crisis in Iraq is especially appreciated given the fact that there already were large numbers of Syrian refugees in Kurdistan.

President Barzani repeated his stance of Kurdistan Region's readiness to continue and provide aid to the families fleeing from the chaos of the rest of Iraq, adding that he hopes for a better and more peaceful future for Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.

President Barzani and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon concluded their meeting in Erbil with a press conference where the two expressed their views on the current situation in Iraq to local, national and international journalists. 

Erbil, Kurdistan (KRG.org) – Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani yesterday received the United Kingdom’s new Consul General to the Kurdistan Region, Mr. Angus McKee. They discussed the relationship between the United Kingdom and the KRG as well as current political issues.

The Prime Minister congratulated the Consul General and wished him success in his new position. Consul General McKee expressed his pleasure in taking up his post in Kurdistan.

United Kingdom – Kurdistan Region relations

The Consul General discussed the relationship between the Kurdistan Region and the United Kingdom, explaining that Prime Minister Barzani’s visit to London and British Foreign Secretary William Hague’s visit to Erbil will help solidify strong, mutually beneficial ties, including between the two governments and among private companies, universities, and citizens.

Mr. McKee indicated that the Prime Minister’s visit to London would serve as a catalyst to foster stronger relations, expressing hope that both sides remain dedicated to the development of the relationship. He assured the Prime Minister that the United Kingdom is committed to the agreements made during that visit.

Prime Minister Barzani highlighted the Kurdistan Region’s strategic relationship with the United Kingdom, also pointing to the importance of the exchange of high-level visits. He reaffirmed that the KRG attaches special consideration to its ties with the United Kingdom and remains committed to developing and bolstering relations.

Political issues

The new Consul General applauded the broad-based character of the KRG’s eighth cabinet, evidence that the Kurdistan Region is heading in the right direction.

During the meeting both sides pointed to the latest developments in Iraq, including the political process. Prime Minister Barzani emphasised that everything has changed in the last several weeks, and in light of these developments, relations between Erbil and Baghdad must be viewed in a different manner. He explained that the KRG supports the political process in Iraq, which needs to progress so that a framework for coexistence and a mechanism to define future relations between Erbil and Baghdad can be established.

The Prime Minister added that the threat of terrorism presents a grave danger to all sides. He stated that Iraq is today witnessing the beginning of a new phase and that the nature of the issues at stake has changed. This must be taken into account when considering the current situation.

Both sides discussed the situation of the internally displaced people who have fled Mosul and other parts of Iraq to seek safe haven in Kurdistan. The Consul General reaffirmed that his country has in the past provided assistance to refugees and internally displaced and would continue to cooperate in order to help the displaced people through logistical assistance and through the transfer of expertise and experience in coping with the crisis.

Erbil, Kurdistan (KRG.org) - In a meeting held yesterday with the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Iraq, Nickolay Mladenov, KRG Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani reiterated that the Kurdistan Region is committed to all international obligations related to Iraq. This includes Iraq's commitment to compensate countries through oil revenues, as per relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.

The latest developments in relations between Erbil and Baghdad, energy issues, efforts to finalize the KRG's eighth cabinet, and the Iraq government formation process were topics of discussion in the meeting. The Prime Minister emphasized that the KRG oil policy is fully in line with the federal constitution of Iraq.

The UN Special Representative stressed the need for genuine effort to form a new Iraqi government as soon as possible through dialogue and agreement among the country's various political parties. He also offered his congratulations to the people of the Kurdistan Region for the agreement that has led to the formation of the KRG's eighth cabinet.

Erbil, Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRP.org) – Europe Day was commemorated in Erbil on the 9th of May in a special ceremony, with the participation of Kurdistan Region President, head of the European Union Delegation to Iraq, UN Secretary-General Envoy to Iraq, and ambassadors and representatives of a number of countries in Erbil.

Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq (KRG.org) – Elections for the Iraqi parliament and the provincial councils of Erbil, Slemani and Duhok went ahead peacefully and with a high turnout ‎in the Kurdistan Region.

According to initial estimates from various media outlets, 70% of eligible voters cast their ballot in Kirkuk, 73% cast their ballot in Duhok, 77% cast their ballot in Erbil and 73% cast their ballot in Slemani. Voting began at 7am and ended at 6pm and there was no curfew in the region and no security incidents were reported. Iraqi airspace was closed from 12 PM on 28 April until 6 PM today. Voting was conducted through the use of electronic cards.

The Kurdistan Regional Government has worked closely with the Independent High Electoral Commission of Iraq in the run-up to the election to ensure a free and fair vote in the Kurdistan Region. There were over 1250 local and over 280 international observers monitoring the elections in Kurdistan, including teams from the United Nations, many of the consulates based in Erbil, the Arab League, and foreign and domestic non-governmental organisations.

The US Secretary of State John Kerry said, “Millions of Iraqis courageously voted today and reaffirmed not just their commitment to democracy, but their determination to achieve a more secure and peaceful future. Iraqis from every ethnic and religious group, and from all 18 provinces, [voted] in an election critical to advancing the vision of a democratic, united, federal, and pluralistic Iraq as defined in the Iraqi constitution.”

Other governments also issued statements supporting the electoral turnout. British Foreign Secretary William Hague said, “Despite the serious challenges that Iraq faces, it is inspiring to see that millions of Iraqis have seized the opportunity to choose their new government and I pay tribute to their courage and commitment to the future of their country.”

The Special Representative of the Secretary General for Iraq and Head of the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI), Nickolay Mladenov, said whilst visiting a polling station today that “Iraqis face tight security measures, yet are determined to vote in an election, crucial to democratic transition.”

Iraq’s federal elections will determine the composition of the federal parliament and eventually lead to the formation of the next Iraqi government. Kurdistan Region’s provincial elections will determine the governing councils of the Region’s governorates, which will be tasked with choosing governors for each province. IHEC will release official results for both the federal and provincial elections after the votes have been counted and registered complaints regarding the voting process have been investigated.

Salahaddin, Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRP.org) – Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani met leader of Gorran Movement Nosherwan Mustafa on Thursday, a statement by Chief of Staff of Kurdistan Region Presidency Fuad Hussein said.