Kurdistan Regional

Kurdistan Regional (738)

Canada thanks Kurdistan for fighting on behalf of world and will provide logistical military support

Erbil, Kurdistan (DFR.KRG.org) – Bruno Saccomani, Canada’s Ambassador to Iraq, visited the KRG Department of Foreign Relations today to express Canada’s support for the Kurdistan Region and to discuss ways of providing assistance.

Minister Falah Mustafa thanked the ambassador for visiting and supporting the Kurdistan Region at this important time. He briefed Ambassador Saccomani about the latest security and humanitarian developments and reiterated the KRG’s call for international support.

Ambassador Saccomani praised Kurdish Peshmerga forces, stating, “We thank Kurdistan for fighting the ISIS militants on behalf of the world.” He commended the humanitarian assistance provided to the refugees and internally displaced people by the Kurdistan Regional Government and the people of Kurdistan Region. He said, “Thank you for being such a great example to the rest of the world. Your compassion and generosity is very much admirable.”

The ambassador emphasized the importance of preserving the safety and stability of the Kurdistan Region, as it has become a safe haven for hundreds of thousands of refugees and IDPs. “During times of chaos, people run to safety. Because of the KRG and Peshmerga forces, people are running to the Kurdistan Region for safety now,” said the ambassador.

Ambassador Saccomani stated that ISIS is an international threat; therefore, the international community has a moral responsibility to come forward and actively support the Kurdistan Region in terms of humanitarian and military support. He expressed Canada’s full support for the American air strikes against ISIS positions. The ambassador stated that the government of Canada hears the KRG loud and clear and that it will very soon provide logistical military support as well as humanitarian assistance to the refugees and IDPs. The Ambassador spoke of providing urgent medical support for the thousands of Yezidis who were stranded on Mount Sinjar for several days and have taken shelter in the province of Duhok.

Minister Mustafa thanked the Ambassador for Canada’s support and reiterated the determination of the Kurdish leadership and Kurdish Peshmerga forces to continue to fight ISIS terrorists.

Michael Calan, Director General of the Middle East Division at the Canadian Department of International Development and Karwan Jamal, Deputy Head of the DFR, also attended the meeting.

Italy’s Deputy Foreign Minister expresses support for Kurdistan

Erbil, Kurdistan, Iraq (DFR.krg.org) – The Head of the KRG Department of Foreign Relations, Minister Falah Mustafa, today welcomed Italian Deputy Foreign Minister Lapo Pistelli and his delegation to discuss the latest security, humanitarian, and political developments in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq.

Minister Mustafa thanked the Deputy Minister for his visit and the attention that the government of Italy has paid to the recent developments in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq.

The Minister highlighted the latest developments and expressed the KRG’s disappointment in the lack of humanitarian and military support offered by the international community. He said, “We expected more than expressions of gratitude and appreciation. The international community is turning a blind eye to the urgent security and humanitarian challenges facing the people of Kurdistan.”

He spoke of the security threat posed by the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), stating, “Kurdish Peshmerga forces are facing a terrorist organization with members across the globe. This is a serious situation. Peshmerga forces are left alone and are fighting on behalf of the entire international community. ISIS poses a global threat; therefore, the international community has a moral responsibility to actively support the Kurdish Peshmerga forces in fighting ISIS militants.”

Deputy Foreign Minister Pistelli praised the role of the Kurdish Peshmerga forces and the KRG in response to recent security and humanitarian developments. He also condemned in strongest terms the violence perpetrated against Christians and Yezidis, lamenting the plight of these communities. He said, “The world is fully aware of the humanitarian assistance provided by the KRG to the refugees and IDPs, and the Kurdish Peshmerga forces are doing an excellent job.”

In response to the KRG’s call for urgent humanitarian and military assistance, the Deputy Minister stated, “I will convey the message of the Kurdistan Regional Government to the government of Italy and the European Union. We understand the situation in the Kurdistan Region. You are shouldering a heavy burden on behalf of the international community, and you can not be left alone.”

Minister Mustafa reiterated the determination of the Kurdish leadership and Kurdish Peshmerga forces to continue to fight ISIS terrorists.

Italy’s Ambassador to Iraq, Massimo Moratti, and the Head of the Foreign Ministry’s Iraq Desk, Alessandro Motti, also attended the meeting. Deputy Head of the KRG Department of Foreign Relations, Karwan Jamal, and KRG Representative to Italy Rezan Kadir participated as well.

Prime Minister Barzani: Rest assured that we will defeat the terrorists

Erbil, Kurdistan, Iraq (KRG.org) – Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani has issued a statement reassuring the people of Kurdistan that Peshmerga forces are advancing and will defeat the terrorists, and that the people should not panic.

The full text of the Prime Minister’s statement:

A message to the people of Kurdistan

We reassure the beloved and resilient people of Kurdistan that our Peshmerga are advancing on the Sinjar front and have defeated the terrorist forces of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) in Makhmour and Jalawla. The Kurdistan Regional Government, with its faith in Kurdistan’s Peshmerga forces, promises the people of Kurdistan that it will not allow terrorists to defile the sacred land of Kurdistan nor hinder the continuation of life in Kurdistan.

We urge the people not to panic and to remain calm in their places and continue their normal work and life. We promise the people of Kurdistan to strike the terrorists with an iron fist. We will abolish the threat facing Kurdistan and the region. We must all have faith in the Peshmerga and support them.

We ask the people and the youth of Kurdistan to keep their spirits high. We should all believe in our legitimate cause. We are now defending the sacred land of Kurdistan against an invading terrorist force. That requires the highest morale, especially as the terrorists are suffering defeat due to pressure from Peshmerga forces. Therefore, we ask the people of Kurdistan to keep up their spirits and remain calm.

Nechirvan Barzani
Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government
6 August 2014

KRG briefs diplomats on security developments and humanitarian emergency

Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq (DFR.KRG.org) – The KRG Department of Foreign Relations and the KRG Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs today briefed diplomats and representatives of international organizations based in Erbil on the latest security, humanitarian and political developments.

The Head of the KRG Department of Foreign Relations, Minister Falah Mustafa, thanked the diplomats for their attendance and discussed the security threat posed by the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) to the Kurdistan Region, Iraq and the entire Middle East. Minister Mustafa said, “ISIS considers all who do not share their ideology as enemies. They are against the fundamental principles of humanity.”

He added, “We are dealing with a terrorist organization with members across the world, and it is a threat to all. Fighting ISIS is not only the responsibility of the Kurdistan Region. Terrorism is an international threat, and therefore the international community has a responsibility to support the KRG as it combats ISIS.”

The Minister asked diplomats to urge their countries to take action. “We have received expressions of appreciation and gratitude from the international community as we provide a safe haven for refugees and IDPs and combat a ruthless terrorist organization. It is now time for the international community to step forward, urgently, and provide the KRG with humanitarian assistance and military support, particularly air support.”

Jabar Yawar, official spokesperson of the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs, briefed diplomats about military developments on the ground. Highlighting the Peshmerga forces’ urgent need for military support, he said, “Prior to the withdrawal of the U.S forces and long before the fall of Mosul, 100,000 Iraqi soldiers, 20,000 American soldiers, and the Peshmerga forces were jointly protecting the line between the Kurdistan Region and the rest of Iraq, which is 1050 km. Unfortunately, the Peshmerga forces are now alone in protecting those areas with their limited military weaponry.”

Highlighting the ongoing humanitarian crisis on Mount Sinjar, Minister Mustafa called upon the international community to provide urgent support, including humanitarian aid and air transportation, for the thousands of families stranded on the mountain.

The Minister addressed the tension between Erbil and Baghdad, stating that “the federal government has not sent the Kurdistan Region any share of the federal revenue, in violation of the Iraqi Constitution. Meanwhile, the political process in Iraq remains at an impasse.”

Egyptian Consul Soliman Osman, Dean of the consular corps, expressed his gratitude for the briefing on behalf of the diplomats. During the meeting, several diplomats and representatives exchanged thoughts on the recent developments.

The meeting was attended by diplomats from Egypt, France, the Russian Federation, Jordan, Palestine, the United States of America, Turkey, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Iran, Italy, Romania, France, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Korea, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, Poland, Romania, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Greece, the United Nations, and the EU’s Humanitarian Aid Organisation, ECHO.

The meeting was also attended by senior officials from the KRG Department of Foreign Relations.

Prime Minister Barzani and Italian Consul discuss Iraq and internally displaced people

Erbil, Kurdistan (KRG.org) – Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani and Italian Consul Carmelo Ficarra on Saturday discussed the bilateral relationship between Italy and the KRG as well as recent developments in Iraq.

Both sides pointed to the importance and mutual benefit of the growing bilateral relations between Italy and the Kurdistan Region. The Consul explained that his office plays a key role in serving as a channel for communication and information sharing with his government and Italian firms, regularly providing insight to business representatives and delegations visiting the Kurdistan Region.

He also noted that the Italian government is aware of the security and stability in Kurdistan and that the Region is investor-friendly. Italian companies have dramatically increased their trading activity in Kurdistan in recent years, and more than 100 Italian companies are expected to participate in this year’s Erbil International Fair.

During the meeting the recent developments in Iraq, particularly the security challenges and terror threat caused by the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), were discussed. Prime Minister Barzani pointed to the fundamental difference in Iraq’s political and security landscape after the fall of Mosul, highlighting the urgent need for humanitarian support for Iraq’s internally displaced people (IDPs). He noted that, regrettably, the Iraqi Government has not taken responsibility for the well being of the displaced nor has it provided assistance for Syrian refugees. The Iraqi Government has also cut the Kurdistan Region’s entire budget, making it extremely difficult for the KRG to cope with the humanitarian crisis.

Consul Ficarra asserted that his country would do its utmost to better understand the situation. He said that Italy will continue, as before, to work with the relevant KRG institutions to assist refugees and the internally displaced, explaining that seven Italian NGOs are currently operating in the field. Prime Minister Barzani appreciated this effort, noting that the international community must come forward to assist refugees and IDPs. The Prime Minister added that the KRG has provided equal protection and assistance to all IDPs, regardless of ethnicity or creed, with the majority of displaced people coming from Mosul and the diverse Ninewa Plains area

World should help 'generous' Kurdistan: UN refugee chief

AL-KHAZAR CAMP, July 17, 2014 (AFP) - The head of the UN's refugee agency praised Iraq's autonomous region of Kurdistan for welcoming hundreds of thousands of displaced people and urged the world to offer it "massive" support.

Antonio Guterres told reporters during a visit to the Al-Khazar camp for displaced Iraqis that he was "humbled by the generosity and the solidarity of the government and of the people of Kurdistan in this very difficult moment."

People forced from their homes in Iraq's Nineveh governorate since a jihadist-led offensive that started on June 9 have fled en masse to neighbouring Kurdistan, which has remained largely stable.

Guterres stressed that the autonomous region had already borne a heavy burden with an earlier influx of refugees from war-torn Syria and he added that the strain was made worse by the fact that the government in Baghdad had stopped sending Arbil its share of federal oil revenue.

"And even without those resources, the government and people of Kurdistan have been receiving all these people and sharing with them everything they have," he said.

Kurdistan and the Shiite-dominated federal government have been locked in an escalating war of words in recent weeks.

Arbil blames Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki for the security collapse that saw extremist Sunni militants seize large swathes of land in western and northern Iraq.

Maliki has in turn accused the Kurdish leadership of taking advantage of the chaos to expand the borders of its envisioned independent state by moving into disputed territories, and of illegally exporting Iraqi oil.

Guterres, who met Iraqi leaders in Baghdad on Wednesday, urged the international community "to provide massive support for the Iraqis displaced, for the Iraqi victims of this conflict, but also to provide massive support to the government and the people in Kurdistan."

He said that the population of internally displaced people in Iraq now topped two million.

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