Salahaddin, Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRP.org) – Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani today chaired a meeting of the Syrian Kurdish parties in an effort to help the Kurdish groups in Syria to unify their positions in the run-up to the planned Geneva II conference on Syria.

Representatives from both Democratic Union Party (PYD) and the Kurdish National Council attended today’s meeting in Salahaddin. The two parties agreed to hold a bilateral meeting on Tuesday, 17 December 2013, with the aim of unifying their position.

Rome, Italy - (KRG.org) – Minister Falah Mustafa led a senior delegation from  the Department of Foreign Relations to Itlay last week where they met Italy's Deputy Foreign Minister, visited the parliament and Minister Mustafa signed an agreement with the Italian Society for International Organisations.

The delegation consisted of the Kurdistan Regional Government's Representative to Italy Rezan Kader, the Assistant Head of the DFR Siham Jabali, advisor at the DFR Saleem Ibrahim, as well as Directors at the DFR Hoshang Mohamed, Tawfiq Rahman and Omer Rashid.

During the four-day visit, the delegation met with Deputy Foreign Minister Lapo Pistelli. Minister Mustafa thanked Mr Pistelli for the Foreign Ministry’s cooperation and said, “The KRG places great importance on its relations with Italy and would also like to thank the Representative Office in Italy and the Italian Consulate in Erbil for the role they play in strengthening our mutual relations.”

Deputy Minister Pistelli welcomed the delegation and said he was pleased at the level of development in bilateral relations highlighting the increase in the number of Italian companies working in Kurdistan. Both sides discussed the latest in Kurdish, Iraqi and regional political and security developments. The delegation also met with a number of other senior officials at the Italian Foreign Ministry.

Later during the visit, Minister Mustafa and Italy's former Foreign Minister Franco Frattini signed a memorandum of understanding between the DFR and the Italian Society for International Organisations (SIOI) which Mr Frattini now heads. The MOU was finalised and signed after Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani approved on a proposal earlier this year.

During his visit to the SIOI, Minister Mustafa spoke at a seminar attended by over 150 diplomats, professors, academics, researchers and journalists. He briefed the audience on the geopolitical influence of Kurdistan, the history of the Kurdish people, the tragedies that they have overcome, the developments since the uprising of 1991 and the future of the region.

Also in the framework of the delegation’s trip to Italy, they visited the Italian Parliament where they were received by the Vice President of the Senate, Valeria Fedeli. Minister Mustafa briefed her on the forthcoming Iraqi parliamentary elections scheduled for April 2014 and spoke about how both Kurdistan and Iraq can benefit from Italy given its history and experiences in democracy. He asked Vice President Fedeli for her support in trying to bring further international recognition of the genocide committed by the former Ba’athist regime against the Kurdish people.

The delegation also visited Perugia University, where Minister Mustafa gave a lecture and met with various officials from the university as well as local government officials. 

The delegation met with various diplomats from the international community as well as members of the business community in Italy. They also paid a visit to the Holy See at the Vatican where they met with Cardinal Francesco Coccopalmerio. Minister Mustafa outlined Kurdistan's culture of compassion and co-existence and spoke about the Christian community in the region and the Syrian crisis which had resulted in close to 250,000 refugees fleeing there. 

Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq – (KRG.org) – Japan’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nobuo Kishi, and Ambassador to Iraq, Masato Takaoka, visited the Kurdistan Region this week, bringing with them humanitarian assistance to the Syrian refugees in Kurdistan.

Dr. Mohammed Seddigh Ahmad, the vice-representative Kurdistan Regional (KRG) in Iran, in a say printed in Etemad Press, mentioned different aspects of KRG and Islamic Republic of Iran relations. In his opinion both Iraqi Kurds and Iranian nations share many things. There many kurds know Iran (land of Arians) as their fatherland and grant it a grave place in their minds and hearts. Some of those commons are common archeology traditions, language, similar sociology ceremonies specially Eyde Noruz and . . . . several Kurds poets have composed many Persian poems, and had roles in opulence of the deep-rooted culture.

In Dr. Ahmad’s view, till Iraq Baath government downfall, Iran had been a shelter for fighters and nation of Iraqi Kurd. Iranians played a unique role in popularizing lots of cruelties imposed on kurd nation of Iraq like chemical bombing in Halabcheh and helping injuries and victims of this bitter tragedy and sheltering millions of refugees in the most tough situations of oppression, genocide and anti-human behaviors of Ba’th regime. Some of present outstanding politician personages lived in Iran for ages.

In Dr. Ahmad’s view, despite of lots of commons and aside from political and security aspects, Iranians have not taken reasonable advantages of economic and cultural areas in Kurdistan Region. In the field of economy the role of western countries, turkey, Arabian countries even far-east countries more highlighted.  In Dr. Ahmad’s view the reason is Iran’s having no strategic and outstanding perspective toward security attitude to the affair of Iraq Kurdistan as well as overly approving and concentrating on less important and negligible issues. Even so it can be said there are different opportunities for developing joints such as directing to better face with interior problems of Iraq and regional crises. Also Iranian economy corporates can act in different projects in this area. Another area is science to be considered. Exchanging scholars, students incorporating, founding Iranian Universities’ branches in Kurdistan region and cooperation between researching institutions of both sides can mentioned as well. In Dr. Ahmad’s view, for developing above-mentioned areas it is essential Iranian authorities’ security and economic attitudes toward Iraq Kurdistan change and a new one based on a trend of cooperation of multi-aspects is replaced.  

 Salahaddin, Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRP.org) – Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani today met with United States Ambassador to Iraq Mr. Steven Beecroft in Salahaddin.

The President and the US Ambassador discussed the situation of Syrian refugees in Kurdistan, which now number well over 200,000. Ambassador Beecroft thanked the KRG for all that it has done to help the refugees and expressed US government’s appreciation for the strains that this has put on the resources in the Kurdistan Region. He added that he would work with others in Baghdad to encourage the Iraqi government to also contribute to this relief effort.

The two also talked about preparations for the planned Geneva II conference on Syria and the role and participation of the Syrian Kurdish parties in that conference.

The US ambassador also commended KRG's decision to undertake a thorough investigation into the murder of the Kurdish journalist Kawa Garmiyani, killed at his home earlier this month in the town of Kalar.  The President said his murder saddened him and the KRG is doing all it can to bring the perpetrators to face justice.  

President Barzani and Ambassador Beecroft also discussed recent positive signs that Baghdad and Erbil are considering to engage in talks to reach an agreement on energy.

 Nazim Dabbaq , the representative Kurdistan region of Iraq in Iran answered some questions about the situation of Syrian Kurds and their special role in current crisis of this country. In his view although some Kurdish people have migrated to Kurdistan region of Iraq due to insecurities coming into being, Syrian Kurds could immune northern areas against government opponents such as salafi jihad and al-Qaeda; therefore, their role in Syria crisis is considered important. He, about Kurds demands in Geneva conference, said they would not take any position against opponents or central government and would stand on their previous position. Turning down the views that Kurds of Syria are supported and encouraged by some external powers stated it is clear nowadays countries such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and turkey are supporting al-Qaeda and salafi forces, even so some try to prevent Kurds to get their right.

In response to a question, he mentioned as though Kurds of Syria wanted to experience Kurdistan of Iraq in areas under their control again. As an autonomous government, along with parliament and elections, has been incorporated in Kurdistan region of Iraq to control the region they wish to experience this as well. Dabbaq even rejected opinion that Syrian Kurds is the element of balance between government and Turkish Kurds. Dabbaq, about the position of government region of Iraq about Syria crisis said his government has not supported none of sides and want to fulfill the right of all tribes, religion and minorities and want to stop killing in this country as well. However would like to intercede. Dabbaq himself believed that both sides can solve the problem without foreign interfere. He wishes Syria unity maintenance. He says if a power is intended to be transitioned it has to be in the frame of the constitution.

Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq (KRG.org) - The Kurdistan Regional Government welcomes the initial agreement between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the P5 + 1 countries, comprising the United States of America, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, China and Germany. The KRG views this

The ministry of Oil of I.R.Iran appreciated and acknowledged in a letter from Nazem Dabbagh, the deputy of Kurdistan region of Iraq in Iran for his sending a letter to Me. Engineer Bizhan Namdar Zangeneh, in occasion of backing vote of confidence from Islamic Consultative Parliament of Iran and his selection for the position Oil Ministry of Iran.