Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq (cabinet.gov.krd) - Kurdistan Region Prime Minister, Nechirvan Barzani, yesterday received the Italian Minister of Defence, Ms. Roberta Pinotti and her accompanying delegation, which included the Italian Consul General to the Kurdistan Region, the Italian army Chief of Staff and a number of diplomats and military officials.

In the meeting, which was also attended by Kurdistan Region Deputy Prime Minister, Qubad Talabani, and a number of Kurdistan Regional Government Ministers and officials, Ms. Pinotti reaffirmed her government’s appreciation for the role played by the Kurdistan Region Peshmerga Forces in the fight against the Islamic State terrorist organisation, ISIS, and in defending and  protecting the  various communities in the Kurdistan Region.

She said that the Kurdistan Region enjoys a high reputation at the global level as its Peshmerga Forces defend civilisation against barbarity.

While she praised the role of the Kurdistan Regional Government for having accommodated and offered assistance to a large number of refugees and displaced persons, who fled ISIS violent repression and took refuge in the Kurdistan Region, Ms. Roberta Pinotti expressed her country’s readiness to help this vulnerable population.

Prime Minister Barzani expressed his gratitude to the Italian people and government for their continuous support, recalling Italian Prime Minister's visit last year, when ISIS began attacking Kurdistan.

The two sides discussed Italy’s military support to the Peshmerga Forces and humanitarian aid to the refugees and IDPs.

Ms. Pinotti and her accompanying delegation arrived Kurdistan Region last night and were received at Erbil International Airport by Mustafa Sayid Qadir, Minister for Peshmerga Affairs, Falah Mustafa, head of the Department of Foreign Relations and Rezan Qadir, KRG representative in Italy.