Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani welcomed Iraqi President Fuad Masoum in his office in Salahaddin.  The meeting focused on status of the fronts against the ISIS terrorists, and the latest political and security developments in Kurdistan and in Iraq.  
 They both emphasized that political differences must be resolved by dialogue between all sides.

Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq (cabinet.gov.krd) - In a speech at a ceremony held to bury 67 bodies of Yazidi martyrs in the Yezidi holy site of Sheikh Sharafaddin shrine, Kurdistan Region Prime Minister, Nechirvan Barzani, highlighted the suffering of the Yazidis, who, he said, have been oppressed twice for being Kurds and Yazidis at the same time.

Prime Minister Barzani stressed that with sacrifices given by Yazidis and Peshmerga forces, the Kurdistan people will eventually prevail and Sinjar and other Kurdish areas will be liberated from the Islamic State terrorist organisation, ISIS.

He pointed out that, “Sinjar and its environs will be liberated at any price and returned to Kurdistan Region, where security, reconstruction, and coexistence will prevail again in this historical town which has been, since the ancient time, the cradle of religious coexistence.”

“The crimes, perpetrated against Yazidi Kurds are deep pains that we will never forget, but as we have gone through many periods of violent oppression and massacres in the past, this time again we will survive and prevail with dignity,” he added.

He reiterated that the Kurdistan Regional Government, KRG, continues its efforts to liberate the Yezidi Kurds, who are still held captive by ISIS terrorists. He pointed out that “the government has opened a special office dedicated to this task, which has so far managed to liberate 2058 Yezidi sisters and brothers from the grip of terrorists.” In this regard, he expressed his gratitude to the staff working at this office, who, he said, have achieved a great and honourable task.

Prime Minister Barzani said KRG institutions work to assist the Yazidi victims and displaced, who now live in camps, with the hope that they would be able to return to their hometowns, after their areas are being liberated.

He said that the KRG continues its campaign to obtain international recognition of the crimes committed against the Yezidi Kurds as genocide, through a committee, chaired by the KRG Minister of Martyrs and Anfal affairs.

He expressed his gratitude to the Peshmerga forces that have been able to protect Kurdistan territories, and those who have been able to defend and protect Sheikh Sharafaddin shrine against ISIS threats.

Prime Minister Barzani pointed out that religious tolerance and coexistence among different communities in Kurdistan Region is a great support for the success of the Kurdistan people.

He said that the presence of representatives of various religious communities in this ceremony is a message to the enemies that coexistence will continue in the Kurdistan Region.

Concerning the recent changes in Iraq ISIS’s strike to Al-Ramadi of Iraq in especial, Rouzan Press had an interview with Nazem Dabbagh of which the important outline as follow:

Relating to the reason why ISIS’s news is less being heard in Kurdistan Region of Iraq these days asked Rouzan Press. He replied that ISIS has found that through courageous resistance of Kurds in Iraq and Syria that taking Kurdish towns are unlikely; thus he has started to focus on two Sunni ones, especially in two fronts of Ramadi and Syria. While terrorists have attack the villages bordered with Kurdistan Region daily, continuously looking for an opportunity to penetrate our Region. He went on that presently there has been a complete coordinate in different points of Kurdistan to confront with ISIS’s strikes or penetration, since it is essential not discard their threats at any conditions. Experience has proved that ISIS does take advantage of any chances, particularly in special conditions like climate changes even haze to attack. The reporter of Rouzan Press mentioned the being killed of a Iranian kurd called Amir Ghobadi in Kubane and asked Dabbagh what other nations accompany you, he replied: there is no absolute information for this, but youths from Swede, America, Netherland and other countries have arrived in Kurdistan and along with us fight against ISIS.     

After the victories of the army in Salaheddin and the liberation of Tikrit, Al-Ebadi’s government decided to cross out people forces in release operation of Al-Anbar give their role to fresh forces. Thus ISIS could occupy this town, what caused Al-Ebadi called for people help once more.

Relating to this Maytham Soleimani the Etemad Press’s reporter had an interview with Nazem Dabbagh the representative of Kurdistan Region Government of Iraq in Tehran as follows:

In Mr. Dabbagh’s view the gained victories against ISIS was for all different groups’ participation of Iraq. However, after these victories some began to wage tribal wars against each other to gain all the advantage for themselves so that the government had to omit some groups. These differences were all benefits to ISIS. Once more the government trusted only in police and army and it left the security gained in Al-Anbar for them. It was how the experience of Mosul repeated in Ramadi. Now conditions have arisen in which Iraq have to think uniquely.

Relating the refugees of Ramadi including 25000 people he said: we must diminish the reason for their being homelessness. One of the reasons is the disruption existing in Iraq in which the army’s weapons have been taken by ISIS; America which has been paid millions of dollars by Iraq, now sending its fighters to destroy them and the government has to purchase these weapons again. In Dabbagh’s view these dollars should have paid for infrastructures and services for people, it might not has created an ISIS. Shias under a unit authority, Ayatollah Sistani, stand under one flag despite of differences as the Sunnis do not.            

Nazem Dabbagh the representative of Kurdistan Region will not welcome arms establishment, but the strength of Pishmerga according to defensive system of Iraq.

In talk with the international reporter of Ana news agency concerning Kurdistan Region’s position against American Congress’s plan based on arming Pishmerga and Sunni tribes of Iraq opposed by national officials and organizations of the country including the Prime Minister and Parliament and described it as a plan to separate Iraq, Nazem Dabbagh Said: the Region will welcome this matter and plan.

He added: Iraq has to always be Iraq and have an equal look at all groups especially at Pishmerga. He continued: the Region is getting into a daily fight with ISIS and it was the only area relying upon Pishmerga which released areas occupied by ISIS.

Dabbagh said: According to the Constitution of Iraq, today Pishmerga has to be a part of the defensive system of the country, namely, all military financial and consultative help being delivered to Iraq have to be assigned to Pishmerga as well.

Mentioning the recent plan of America Congress he said: this military help and arming Kurdish and Sunni forces are according to the Constitution of Iraq. Of course this plan and military help to Pishmerga are conditioned.

About explaining of Congress plan he added: if Iraqi government does not give a part of delivered aids to Pishmerga, Americans will do this directly and we welcome this plan. However before America’s direct help we accept Iraq government considers all rights of Pishmerga according to the Constitution.

The representative of Kurdistan Region in Iran stated: Pishmerga are strong forces and protect the borders of the Region, so it has to be deemed as the defense system of Iraq.

He said: the Congress plan mentioned these concerns and made its military aids conditional upon that if central government of Iraq does not put Pishmerga in its defense-military filed, the USA will give these aids to them.

In a response to question whether this plan tends to separate Iraq or not Dabbagh said: if central government follows the Constitiute, it will help to strength Iraq; whereas Pishmerga needs foreign helps to fight against Terrorists.

He insisted: Kurdistan Region does not welcome the establishment but strength Pishmerga according to defense system of Iraq.

About the possibility of Iran opposition to this plan he added: I do insist the aids of this plan are conditioned and if Iraqi government is obedient to the Constitution, there will be no need to the USA direct help to Pishmerga.

He stated: Iran delivered military consultative aids to KRG, so Iraq government also ought to perform its duty.

Finally the representative of KRG in Tehran said: the being conditional of the USA’s plans has to be considered specially. Unfortunately it has not been yet.         

The growth of terrorist groups in the Middle East has caused new blocking in the region, to study this matter, Mahdi Elyasi, the Ghanun Press Reporter, had a talk with Nazem Dabbagh, the representative of KRG, of which the main points as followed:

Mr. Dabbagh knows ISIS as an obvious instance of terrorist group without government in the Middle East. In his view ISIS has not been given birth today, in spite of being about to be weakened, it will not be vanished; even if it vanishes, other groups with such features and with Salafi attitude will substitute for it. Dabbagh believes this concern has caused security matters to change to the most important priorities of the governments in the region. In his opinion the growth of terrorist has been created in the atmosphere of government’s weakness, whereas security affairs are not controlled by a definite organization. He continued that they along with their friends could release 95% of occupied areas.

In a response to a question Dabbagh said following the events happened in the region, not only Arabian spring was not created but also winter happened instead. He added that if ISIS gets defeated, it will come to power somewhere else. Dabbagh replied to a question that the same position, the lack of a united and concentrated leadership over affairs, also exist in Kurdistan as in other countries.

 Relating the necessity of forming a military unity against terrorist groups, Dabbagh said: the events in the region will not take place merely in a geographical area, in addition it should be studied what effects it may have in the future. Unfortunately today we see that when a security problem happens to a country of the region, the neighbors think they have been the winner in their policies. They do not guess if a terrorist group wins in country, what will happen next.

In my view the condition after Iran and the West agreement will change greatly that can be changed to a real spring to establish security and welfare in region.

In a reply to an important question concerning the condition of Kurdistan Region in regional alliances, Dabbagh said: in the region there are four powers Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Israel, therefore, blocs in the region have formed around Shia Iran and its opposition Turkey-Arabia. Kurdistan Region’s policy of Iraq in this condition is firstly to preserve its benefits according to the Constitutes of Iraq, that is, our policy should be somehow agreed with the policy of central government of Iraq. Secondly according to Kurds the benefit is to establish security and welfare around them.

On the subjects of Iran and Turkey’s relations in spite of regional competence, of Iran and six powers’ nuclear agreement and of the Kurdish security concern in Iran and Turkey Dabbagh declared that: During the history of Kurdish movement in Iraq, we have been looking for and spreading our rights. We have taken this policy to other Kurds of the region. We have not taken any measure against Kurds of other countries; furthermore we will not support other Kurdish groups’ actions against regional countries. That is why that we have and will not allow both sides to use our land against each other. By this policy we have been able to keep welfare of our border with Iran, Turkey and Syria.

Concerning the positions of KRG of Iraq relating Turkish government and Kurds negotiations Dabbagh said that KRG of Iraq will support any approach leading to peace and agreement, if there is no so, it tries to create, since peace is beneficial to Kurds.             

Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq (cabinet.gov.krg) - Kurdistan Region Prime Minister, Nechirvan Barzani, yesterday received Ambassador Frank Baker, United Kingdom ambassador to Iraq and his accompanying delegation.

Ambassador Baker highlighted bilateral relations between Kurdistan Region and United Kingdom in all the fields, particularly the commercial and economic areas.

The two sides discussed the situation in Iraq in general and the fight against the Islamic State terrorist organisation, ISIS, in particular.
Ambassador Baker reiterated UK support for the Peshmerga Forces in the war against terrorism, praising their role and that of the people and government of Kurdistan Region in confronting and repulsing the terrorist threat.

He also pointed to the differences between Kurdistan Region and Iraqi Federal Government, as well as the Region’s internal issues, particularly the Kurdistan Region Presidency Law, stressing the need for solving those issues through dialog, common understanding, and consensus.

Ambassador Baker expressed his support and collaboration for the settlement of these issues.

Prime Minister Barzani thanked the UK delegation for the visit, expressing his hope that bilateral relations between Kurdistan Region and United Kingdom will witness further development in all the fields.

He highlighted the continuous victories marked by the Peshmerga Forces in the war against ISIS. Meantime, he called for further military aid for Peshmerga forces from European countries, particularly the United Kingdom.

Regarding the differences with the Iraqi Federal Government, Prime Minister Barzani reiterated that Kurdistan Regional Government aims to solve the issues through dialog and negotiations.

Regarding the issue of the Kurdistan Region Presidency Law, he reiterated that it should be settled on the basis of consensus and mutual understanding, and that all the political sides should reach an outcome that is in the general interests of the Kurdistan Region.

Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq (cabinet.gov.krd) - Kurdistan Region Prime Minister, Nechirvan Barzani, yesterday received European Union Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, Christos Stylianides, EU ambassador to Iraq Jana Hybaskova, and their accompanying delegation.

The EU officials expressed their appreciation to the people and government of Kurdistan Region, which has accommodated and offered assistance to a large number of refugees and internally displaced people, IDP’s, despite the Region's financial difficulties.

They reiterated their support and assistance to the Kurdistan Region, stressing that they will work for increasing international assistance in order to help easing the Region's financial burden.

In a post on his twitter account, Mr. Christos Stylianides said, “We're committed to support impressive generosity of KRG to IDPs and refugees”.

In the meeting with the Prime Minister, the EU delegation also hailed the role of the Peshmerga forces that have been able to repulse Islamic State terrorist organization, ISIS, forces, and protect the region's population from various religious and ethnic backgrounds.

Prime Minister Barzani thanked the EU officials for their visit, and demanded that they covey the reality of situation in the Region to the related European and international organizations. He called for further assistance to the refugees and IDPs, directly or through the international and local aid agencies.

He praised Ambassador Hybaskova’s role, who frequently visits Kurdistan Region and closely observers the situation on the ground, saying this demonstrates the importance that the European Union accords to the Kurdistan Region.

The two sides also discussed the recent developments in Iraq and the region in general.