Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (gov.krd) – As part of its official visit to the United Arab Emirates, the Kurdistan Regional Government delegation, headed by Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani, yesterday separately met the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, Sheikh Muhammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

Sheikh Muhammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan welcomed the Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani at the Al-Bahr Palace in Abu Dhabi and expressed his pleasure for Prime Minister’s visit and thanked the Kurdistan Regional Government for attending Dubai Government Summit which began yesterday.

The two sides discussed the relations between Iraq and the United Arab Emirates in general, and between the Kurdistan Region and the United Arab Emirates in particular. They stressed the necessity to develop these relations in various domains, including the economic sector.

The Prime Minister expressed Kurdistan Regional Government’s gratitude for the humanitarian aid and assistance that the United Arab Emirates and UAE Red Crescent is providing to the internally Iraqi displaced persons and Syrian refugees, who are now sheltered in the Kurdistan Region. He praised the efforts, work and assistance undertaken by the officials and team of the UAE Red Crescent in the Kurdistan Region.

Later during the day, the Kurdistan Regional Government delegation visited the UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. The two sides discussed the relations between the Kurdistan Region, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates.

Prime Minister Barzani praised the role played by the UAE Consulate General in Erbil and in particular the UAE Consul General himself, who exert great efforts to strengthen bilateral relations between Kurdistan and the United Arab Emirates. The UAE Foreign Minister described the Consulate General in Erbil as a post that the ministry considers highly significant. 

They also discussed the situation in the Middle East including the latest developments in the war against the Islamic State terrorist organisation, known as ISIS. The two sides stressed that confronting terrorism cannot be undertaken solely through military operations, but also through challenging the ideologies and to confront the concepts of violence that exist in the region.

Prime Minister Barzani and his accompanying delegation arrived Dubai on Sunday evening upon an official invitation by UAE government to attend 2015 Dubai Government Summit. The KRG delegation included Deputy Prime Minister, Qubad Talabani, Minister of Natural Resources, Ashti Hawrami, Minister of Planning, Ali Sindi, Minister of Finance and Economy, Rebaz Mohammad and KRG spokesperson, Minister Safeen Dizayee.