Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq (cabinet.gov.krd) - Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani yesterday received the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Iraq and Iran and Deputy Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter-ISIL, Mr. Brett McGurk, and his accompanying military and diplomatic delegation.

The security situation in Iraq in general and anticipated liberation campaigns of Anbar and Mosul in particular were discussed.

They also discussed maintaining coalition airstrikes in support of Peshmerga forces, and also in Anbar and Hasaka, (Syria).

The U.S delegation emphasised the need for effective mechanisms to prevent radical jihadists joining the Islamic State terrorist organization, ISIS, as well as ways to assist Sunnis to confront ISIS.

Prime Minister Barzani expressed his hope for coalition forces to further train Iraqi military, police, and Peshmerga forces, and extend military operations to accelerate eradicating the ISIS terrorist organization and normalise the region.

Regarding the relations between Erbil and Baghdad, Prime Minister Barzani reiterated that the current situation is not sustainable.  He said Baghdad continues to reduce funding the Region in breach of last December’s agreement and the Iraq Federal Budget Law 2015 at a time when the Region is serving the needs of nearly two million displaced people and fighting ISIS.

He noted that if the Constitution was fully respected three years ago, Iraq would never have seen these days.

 Erbil, Kurdistan – Iraq (DFR.krg.org) – Minister Falah Mustafa, the Head of the Department of Foreign Relations, today thanked members of Britain's All-Party Parliamentary Group on the Kurdistan Region for their efforts to strengthen ties between the two countries and their work on raising awareness of the Kurdish genocide.

Minister Mustafa and the Assistant Head of the DFR, Siham Jabali today welcomed the delegation, which is led by the UK's former minister for the Middle East, Alistair Burt MP, and is in Kurdistan for a four-day visit. Among the delegation are Lord Glasman, Emma Grubb, and Gary Kent. Their visit to Kurdistan includes meetings with senior government and non-government officials to discuss the latest political and security developments in Kurdistan and Iraq, as well as challenges to the region.

Minister Mustafa said, ‘We have always welcomed APPG visits to Kurdistan and you have done a great job in raising awareness of Kurdistan and you have played an important role in the recognition of the Kurdish genocide before the British Parliament. Your friendship is highly valued by the people and leadership of Kurdistan.’

Commenting on his visit to Kurdistan, Mr Burt said, ’It has been a huge pleasure to return [to Kurdistan], not as a Minister being requested to come, but as a friend. We remain committed to further strengthening commercial, political and cultural ties with the Kurdistan Region.’

The British delegation was pleased to be back in Kurdistan for an update on the developments of the region. They expressed particular concern over how the conflict in Syria is affecting the broader region as well as the political situation in the Kurdistan Region.

Minister Mustafa briefed the delegation on the ongoing efforts to form a coalition government in Erbil that is likely to be a grand alliance of several parties, the impact of the Syrian refugee crisis, the security issues in Anbar province that have resulted in a number of refugees arriving in Kurdistan, the Kurdistan Regional Government's relations with Turkey and Baghdad, and the hydrocarbons law.

Both sides discussed areas of mutual interest and bilateral cooperation while expressing their desire to further strengthen and consolidate relations between the people and governments of both countries.

Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq (KRG.org) – Today, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Department of Foreign Relations (DFR) and Invest in Group (IIG) to produce the ‘Kurdistan Review’ for 2014.

The MoU was signed by Head of the Department of Foreign Relations, Minister Falah Mustafa and the Managing Director of IIG’s ‘Kurdistan Review’, Can Yirik. This is the second MOU to be signed by both sides and follows from the success of last year’s MOU which has led to the successful publication of Kurdistan Review 2013.

The MoU signing ceremony was attended by senior officials from the KRG Department of Foreign Relations including Deputy Head of the DFR, Karwan Jamal, Deputy Head for International Organizations, Dindar Zebari and the Assistant Head of the DFR, Siham Jabali.

This year, a designated DFR team under the supervision of Minister Mustafa will be working closely with Invest in Group to ensure a second year of success for the publication.

The ‘Kurdistan Review’ is a comprehensive and leading review in Kurdistan that is published three times quarterly and one time annually and includes various content focusing on different aspects of the region. The reports highlight the many developments and opportunities in the public and private sectors.

In his opening remarks, Minister Mustafa said “we at the DFR are happyat the level of cooperation with Invest in Group and look forward to continue this partnership in 2014.” Minister Mustafa talked about the challenges of topping last year’s successful achievement and ensuring that ‘Kurdistan Review 2014’ will have fresh content and a new message for the international community.

On behalf of IIG, Can Yirik said: “We are honored to renew our partnership agreement with the DFR. Today’s emerging Kurdistan offers large opportunities to the global business community. Our aim is to introduce the people, ideas, trends, and most importantly the opportunities that are transforming Kurdistan into a key business and investment hub for its region and beyond.”

Erbil, Kurdistan (DFR.krg.org) – The Head of the KRG Department of Foreign Relations, Minister Falah Mustafa, and the Assistant Head of the DFR, Ms Siham Jabali, welcomed the new UNHCR Coordinator for Kurdistan, Mr Emmanuel Gignac, who arrived in the region last month to begin his mission.

Minister Mustafa welcomed Mr Gignac and congratulated him on his new post, emphasizing the KRG commitment towards strengthening relations with the UNCHR in order to help better assist the refugees from Syria in addition to the internally displaced persons who have arrived in Kurdistan fleeing from the violence in Anbar. He added, “I welcome you to the region and the DFR is ready to help and assist you in any way possible to succeed in your mission.”

The UNHCR Coordinator briefed Minister Mustafa on his activities since arriving in Kurdistan which included visits to three governorates as well as the majority of the refugee camps in the region. He said, ‘There are a lot of challenges here but we appreciate the support that we get from the KRG which has been remarkable. There is a genuine commitment by the authorities here to help the Syrian refugees.’

Minister Mustafa praised the role that the UNHCR is playing and said that the KRG remembers the role they have played in the region from 1991 when their presence acted as a crucial deterrent to attacks from Saddam’s regime. He added, ‘We in the KRG have always looked at the UN as an important partner. We should look at areas where the UNHCR and other sister agencies can help.’

Both sides discussed the challenges and needs of the Syrian refugees living in Kurdistan and discussed various initiatives and ways in which the KRG and UNHCR can work better together. In addition they discussed ways of sending humanitarian assistance into Syria too via Kurdistan as was done towards the end of last year.

 Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq - (DFR.krg.org) – The Head of the Department of Foreign Relations, Minister Falah Mustafa, welcomed a Latvian delegation headed by a senior official from the their Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Rudolfs Bremanis, to the Kurdistan Region. The delegation is visiting Kurdistan to view potential investment and business opportunities and to pave the way for strengthening relations.

Mr. Bremanis is the Head of the Foreign Economic Relations Promotion Division at the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The meeting was also attended by the Deputy Head of the DFR, Karwan Jamal, the Assistant Head of the DFR, Siham Jabali along with other senior DFR officials. The Latvian delegation represented various business interests hoping to gain a foothold in the region.

Minister Mustafa welcomed the delegation to Kurdistan and stressed the importance for foreign investment in order to properly rebuild Kurdistan. He emphasized the importance of quality over quantity and highlighted some of the reasons which have helped result in Kurdistan’s success. They include the openness of the KRG towards the international community, a friendly investment law, a secure and stable environment and the support of the government towards the private sector.

Mr. Bremanis was pleased to be visiting Kurdistan and pointed to the diverse group of people in the delegation as a sign of the level of interest Latvia has in the region. He discussed Latvia’s road from independence over two decades ago to where it is now. He hoped that this visit would play a role in strengthening relations between both sides.

Salahaddin, Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRP.org) – Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani met leader of Gorran Movement Nosherwan Mustafa on Thursday, a statement by Chief of Staff of Kurdistan Region Presidency Fuad Hussein said.