Salahadin, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, (Krp.org)- President Msoud Barzani received Mr. Tibor Stimari, Hunagry's ambassador to Iraq. President Barzani began the meeting by expression his satisfaction towards Hungary's military support for Iraq and the Kurdistan Region in the current war against the terrorists of the Islamic State, adding that such support from coalition members is of immense importance to the Kurdistan Region and Iraq. President Barzani and ambassador Stimari also spoke of the ongoing advances made by Iraq and the Kurdistan Region against the terrorists of the Islamic State.

Ambassador Stimari reiterated Hungary's support for Kurdistan, stating that the ongoing war against the terrorists must receive the support of all coalition members. 

President Barzani and ambassador Stimari also spoke of the political situation in the Kurdistan Region where President Barzani reiterated his stance that there are no political differences which can affect the stability of the Kurdistan Region and that the stability for which the Region has been known will continue and will only be enhanced.

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.

Salahadin, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, (Krp.org)- President Masoud Barzani met with Mr. Ekkehard Brose, Germany's ambassador to Iraq. During the meeting President Barzani and ambassador Ekkehard spoke of the current military efforts against the terrorists of the Islamic State on the border with the Kurdistan Region and the operations in central Iraq. Ambassador Ekkehard stated that Germany will continue to support the efforts against the terrorists. President Barzani reiterated the Kurdistan Region's appreciation for the support from Germany.

Salahadin, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, (Krp.org)- President Masoud Barzani received a military and diplomatic delegation from the United States today, the delegation was headed by Mr. Brett McGurk, deputy assistant secretary for Iraq and Iran at the Department of State. President Barzani and ambassador McGurk reviewed the latest developments with the war against the Islamic State, both in the Kurdistan Region and in Iraq.

The two sides also spoke of Turkey's latest air attacks against the bases of the PKK. President Barzani reiterated his message to ambassador McGurk on calling upon both Ankara and the PKK to work in pursuit of the completion of the peace process in Turkey.

President Barzani also repeated his appreciation for the U.S. and other coalition members' air support for Kurdistan against the terrorists of the Islamic State, adding that such support has caused serious damage to the enemy and that it will result in the complete liberation of all areas taken by the terrorists in the near future.

Ambassador McGurk stated that the United States will continue to support the Kurdistan Region and that the terrorists of the Islamic State constitute a common enemy which must cease to exist. 

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.             

In a talk with Kurd press, Jegarkhwein dealt with reviewing different concerns including economic political problems and their causes in Kurdistan Region and Iraq, the cause of Iran’s weak presence in Kurdistan Region’s market as compared to Turkey, the political-historical relations between Iran and Kurdistan Region of Iraq and the necessity of improving the cultural-scientific relations between them. A short description follows:

In his view the crises compose of a collection of threats and chances. He believes that presently two crises, ISIS and financial concerns, are the problems Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Concerning fighting terrorism of quasi-government of ISIS, Pishmerga forces managed to courageously fire the terrorists from almost all occupied areas, and now in all battlefields Pishmergas has taken the control. Relating to financial crisis I do insist that the cause of this is undoubtedly the former Iraq cabinet, of course, terrorists’ strike made it worse. He continued to say that one of the roots of current problems of Iraq is the way it formed as a country. Iraq without deeming the identical joints of tribes was formed by great powers. That was why a national identity has never been formed in Iraq. Furthermore, mentioning the concern of physical existence of Iraq he believes that all social political opportunities have to be used in order to resolve this problem.

In a response to a question, Jegarkhwein said that the oil transition pipeline of the Region passes through Turkey. However, as Qassem Rostami, the chief of Economic Improvement Centre of Iran-Iraq and senior consultant of first vice-president of Islamic Republic of Iran traveled Erbil, some agreements were reached of which one relates to energy matter. In addition he continued that the officials of the Region have a balance look toward the relations with neighbors.

The deputy-representative of KRG of Iraq in Iran believes that Iran has entered good and beneficial market of the Region late, thus it has missed many chances. In his view this condition has appeared that between both sides there are numerous historical, cultural, social joints.

Relating to the strategy of the Region concerning gaining the Independence from Iraq, Jegarkhwein refers to a phrase of the head of the Region saying that this process (the Independence) is still going, although fighting ISIS has postponed this. This is meant that we cannot relinquish, however; we want to accomplish that without force, fighting and bleeding, with our unity, research, wisdom and talking with Baghdad.

About sayings put concerning better relation of Kurdistan Democratic Party with Turkey and Patriotic Union with Iran he said he would not accept this in this way; since the relations among Kurdistan Region, Iran, Iraq and other countries are not in the form of Party but formal and almost diplomatic. The foreign relations mechanisms of the Region are not bound to any party and operate completely nationally.

Relating to Iran support from the Region against ISIS Jegarkhwein said that Iran is an important and great neighbor. The leaders of Kurdistan Region as the representative of their nation are always appreciating Iran generous supports and helps. It can be said that after Islamic republic triumph, our relation with Iran have been warm and close all times but a short time long ago. He continued to mention a few aids of Iran to Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

The deputy-representative of KRG of Iraq in Iran in a response to the last question relating to current obstacles to improve the relations between Iran and the Region answered clearly and elaborately. In general in his view matters like Iran-phobia for some Kurds in the Region and Kurd-phobia for some Iranian officials, limited Iranian authorities’ welcoming to improve the relations with Kurdistan Region, preventing scholar and culture cooperation on the behalf of Iranian officials, not caring to the public diplomacy by both sides to improve the relations have made obstacles. Finally he put an end to his interview by say this that: deep and the strategic relations in the fields of culture, economic and sociology can cause trustful perspective of relations in all cases.   

Aria News Agency- Nazem Dabbagh the representative of Kurdistan Regional of Iraq in Iran insisted on the preparedness of the army and people to confront with terrorist groups. He added: the triumph of Iraq army over ISIS group in the freed regions including Tikrit was for the participation of all forces and groups of Iraq. Dabbagh continued: people forces and Iraq army have the ability to fight against ISIS. He declared: the role of Shia authorities on the changes in Iraq to create unity and collaboration was effective and successful. 

Erbil, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, (Krp.org)- President Masoud Barzani attended the 89th birthday ceremony of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The ceremony was arranged by the Consulate General of the United Kingdom and was attended by a number of diplomats and KRG officials.

During the ceremony President Barzani reiterated his gratitude for the role of the United Kingdom in the current war against the terrorists of the Islamic State and wished a happy and meaningful birthday to her Majesty.