Kurdistan Regional

Kurdistan Regional (738)

Diplomats commend democratic process in Kurdistan Region

Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq (dfr.gov.krd) - The Chief of Staff to the Kurdistan Region President, Dr Fuad Hussein, and the Head of the Department of Foreign Relations, Minister Falah Mustafa, today briefed diplomats and representatives of international organizations on the latest security, humanitarian and political developments.

Minister Mustafa thanked diplomats for attending the session and for their confidence in the stability and security of the Kurdistan Region. He gave an overview of the security, humanitarian and political developments in the Kurdistan Region.

The Minister expressed appreciation of the people of Kurdistan Region to the members of the Counter-ISIS Coalition for supporting Kurdistan Region in the fight against international terrorism. He also thanked members of the international community, UN agencies and international organizations for providing humanitarian assistance to the refugees and displaced people who have fled to the safety of the Kurdistan Region.

Dr. Fuad Hussein, Chief of Staff to the President, briefed the diplomats on the political and legal challenges facing the issue of the presidency of Kurdistan Region. He announced “We are taking the legal and political challenges pertaining to the issue of presidency very seriously. The five major political parties are engaged in lengthy negotiations to reach a consensus on that matter.”

“We are a democracy in the making. Our political parties have chosen to resolve their differences through dialogue and negotiation. We consider this as a very positive development in the democratic process of the Kurdistan Region,” the Chief of Staff to the President added.

During the meeting several diplomats reiterated their support for the Kurdistan Region and praised democratic maturity of Kurdish political parties.

On behalf of the diplomatic corps, the Consul General of Palestine, who serves as the dean of the diplomats, Nazmi Hazouri, thanked the DFR for the briefing and highlighted the importance of a united and strong Kurdistan Region for the regional peace and stability.
Consul General of the Republic of France, Alain Guépratte, conveyed “The French authorities are closely monitoring developments in the Kurdistan Region. We have confidence in the Kurdistan Region and we fully support the region’s effort to overcome the current challenges. We believe that the political parties will be able to reach a consensus on the issue of the presidency of the Kurdistan Region.”

Head of the Consular office of the Republic of Italy, Carmelo Ficarra, stated, “Italy shares the same sentiment of France towards Kurdistan Region. Italy believes in the stability and security of the Kurdistan Region and it will continue to support the region in all fronts.”

Head of the UNAMI Regional Office in Erbil, Sokol Kondi, expressed the support of the United Nations to the stability of the Kurdistan Region. “Political differences need to be resolved through dialogue and negotiation. I commend the Kurdish political parties for seeking democratic tools to reach an agreement on the issue of Presidency of the Kurdistan Region, this is a positive step forward in the democratic process of this region,” he added.

Several other diplomats including representatives of UK, Iran and Kuwait exchanged thoughts on the developments in the Kurdistan Region.

The meeting was attended by representatives of Palestine, Republic of France, United Arab Emirates, Republic of Turkey, People’s Republic of China, United Kingdom, Republic of Italy, Republic of South Korea, Federal Republic of Germany, Republic of Romania, Islamic Republic of Iran, Russian Federation, Republic of Hungary, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, State of Kuwait, Kingdom of Netherlands, Arab Republic of Egypt, United States of America, Czech Republic, Canada, Republic of Bulgaria, Republic of Sudan and UNAMI.

President Barzani Welcomes Norway’s Foreign & Defense Ministers

Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani welcomed Norway’s Foreign Minister Borge Brende and Norway’s Defense Minister Ine Marie Eriksen Søreide in his office in Salahaddin today.

In their meeting, President Barzani and the Norwegian Ministers discussed Norway’s role, as part of the international coalition against ISIS, in supporting the peshmerga forces with training and capacity building. They also discussed political developments in the country and in the wider region.

Foreign Minister Brende commended the role of President Barzani in leading the peshmerga forces against ISIS terrorists and for his personal involvement in supervising battles in the front lines against the terrorists. He reiterated his country’s commitment to continue to support the peshmerga forces in confronting the terrorists’ threat.

President Barzani thanked Norway’s for its support and expressed his hope that this cooperation can be further strengthened. He said the with the support of Norway and other coalition partners the peshmerga forces have been able to stand up to the ISIS terrorists and inflict many losses on them.
On the political developments in Kurdistan, the President said that what is happening is a natural outcome of a democratic process, emphasizing that the political disputes between the parties have not in any way affected the morale of the peshmerga forces.

The President and the Norwegian delegation also discussed developments in Syria and in Turkey. On the current conflict between Turkey and the PKK, the President said that the only solution is going back to negotiations, and the KRG is ready to help restart the peace process.

KRG and INGOs in Kurdistan to consolidate cooperation

Erbil, Kurdistan Region (dfr.gov.krd) – The KRG Department of Foreign Relations (DFR), in coordination with the KRG Department of non-Governmental Organization (DNGO) and the KRG Joint Crisis Coordination Center (JCC) today hosted a special session to discuss cooperation between relevant KRG authorities and the active International non-Governmental Organizations (INGO) in the Kurdistan Region.

Minister Falah Mustafa, Head of the KRG Foreign Relations, thanked the representative of INGOs for attending the session and expressed the gratitude of the KRG for their presence and contribution during this challenging time.

Minister Mustafa stated that the KRG fully supports the mission of INGOs in the Kurdistan Region and that the relevant authorities of the government stand ready to provide the needed assistance in order to ensure the success of the mission of INGOs.

During the session, Head of the KRG DNGO, Mr. Akram Mohammed, gave an overview of the mission and responsibilities of the department and expressed the readiness of the DNGO to fully cooperate with the INGOs and to support their activities in the region.

Head of the JCC, Mr. Hoshang Mohammed, also briefed the representatives of INGOs on the mission of the newly established JCC and discussed ways of building a proper mechanism to build and strengthen understanding and cooperation between JCC and active INGOs in Kurdistan.

During the meeting, several representatives discussed issues and challenges facing the INGOs and exchanged views on how to further consolidate cooperation between KRG and INGOs.

The meeting was attended by representatives of 40 INGOs as well as several officials from DFR, DNGO and JCC.

EU opens Liaison office in Kurdistan Region

Erbil, Kurdistan Region (dfr.gov.krd) – In the presence of the Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani, Ambassador of the European Union in Iraq Jana Hybaskova, Head of KRG Foreign Relations Falah Mustafa, several KRG ministers and members of the diplomatic community, today the European Union Delegation Liaison Office in Erbil, Kurdistan Region was officially opened.

Prime Minister Barzani thanked the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Ms. Federica Mogherini and Ambassador Hybaskova for their important role in the opening of the EU liaison office in Erbil.

“We seek the support of the EU to enhance our system of governance and we believe that the Kurdistan Region is entitled to receive its fair share of assistance from the EU-Iraq Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, which was signed on 11th of May, 2012,” Prime Minister Barzani added.

The KRG Prime Minister expressed appreciation and gratitude of the people and the government of Kurdistan to the members of EU for their military and political support during this challenging time. He also called upon the EU members to continue supporting the KRG in dealing with the humanitarian and security challenges facing the region.

The Prime Minister also called for the moral and political support of the EU to the KRG’s effort to gain international recognition of the crimes committed against Yezidi Kurds and other components as acts of genocide. He said, “The international community cannot turn a blind eye to the mass atrocities committed against Yezidi Kurds and other components.”

Ambassador Hybaskova expressed her delight at the opening of the EU Delegation Liaison Office in Erbil and stressed that the opening of the office will be a step forward to further strengthen ties between the EU and the Kurdistan Region.

The EU Ambassador to Iraq highly praised the role of Peshmerga forces in the fight against ISIS and stated, “The Peshmerga forces are the real force and the only effective force on the ground fighting the ISIS terrorists.”

Commenting on the opening of the EU Office in Erbil, Minister Mustafa said, “We thank the EU for responding positively to the need of opening an office in the Kurdistan Region. We would like to see increased engagement from the EU to support the institutions of the Kurdistan Regional government during this challenging time.”

The Minister also expressed the readiness of the Department of Foreign Relations to fully support the EU mission in Kurdistan Region and to facilitate further cooperation between the KRG and the EU.

Patrick Geysen, Head of the EU Delegation Liaison Office in Erbil stated, “I will do my best to deepen and strengthen the already existing ties between the EU and the Kurdistan Region.”

Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani Meets Iraqi President Fuad Masoum

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.

PM Barzani: Religious tolerance and coexistence will continue in Kurdistan Region

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.

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