Salahadin, Erbil, (Krp.org)- President Masoud Barzani welcomed Mr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany. Mr. Steinmeier was accompanied by a delegation of the Ministry as well as German diplomats from Baghdad and Erbil. President Barzani welcomed the minister by a high Kurdistan Region delegation which included Mr. Masrour Barzani, the Chancellor of the Kurdistan Region Security Council.

The meeting was initiated by Mr. Steinmeier offering his congratulations to President Barzani and the Peshmerga forces for the Sinjar operation last month which resulted in the liberation of the town of Sinajr from the control of the terrorists of the Islamic State. Mr. Steinmeier also spoke of Germany's military support to Iraq and the Kurdistan Region and stated that that support will continue.

President Barzani and Mr. Steinmeier spoke of other military operations in Iraq and in Kurdistan against the terrorists of the Islamic State. The President stated that the operations will continue and took advantage of the opportunity to express his gratitude to the allies for their support to the Kurdistan Region and Iraq.

President Barzani and Mr. Steinmeier discussed the political and economic situation in the Kurdistan Region and the relations between Baghdad and Erbil. 

The two held a press conference after their meeting with the presence of local, national and international media outlets.

Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani welcomed Germany’s Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Erbil on Saturday. In a press conference following their meeting, Mr. Steinmeier expressed Germany’s support for the KRG in its fight against terrorism and commended the KRG for hosting large numbers of IDPs from Mosul who have sought refuge in Kurdistan. He added that Germany would continue to provide humanitarian aid to the IDPs, reiterating that his country would do whatever it can to help the KRG cope with the refugees.

President Barzani hailed Mr. Steinmeier visit to Kurdistan and described it as tremendous support for the people of Kurdistan. He added that the atrocities committed against the Yezidis and Christian minorities in the Ninawa province, were crimes committed against all the people of Kurdistan and that the KRG would come out of this victorious.

Salahaddin, Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRP,org) – Since the start of the campaign by the terrorist group ISIS to attack the Kurdistan Region last week, many countries have expressed their support to the KRG in its fight against the terrorism, and have also offered humanitarian aid to the tens of thousands of IDPs who have sought refuge in Kurdistan. 

US Vice President Biden, Germany Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, and Italian Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini all called President Barzani this week to show the support and solidarity of their countries for the Kurdistan Region in its fight against the terrorist group ISIS. 

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius visited Erbil on Sunday and met with President Barzani. In a joint press conference following their meeting, President Barzani thanked the Unites States and France and other countries that have offered their support to the Kurdistan Region.