Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq (cabinet.gov.krd) - Kurdistan Region Prime Minister, Nechirvan Barzani, yesterday received His Beatitude Archbishop Aprem Mooken, Metropolitan of the Assyrian Church of the East in India and his accompanying delegation, which included a number of bishops of the Assyrian Church of the East.

The delegation has visited Kurdistan Region to hold elections to designate a new Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East.

In the meeting, the security situation of the Region and the war against Islamic State terrorist organisation, ISIS, in Syria and Iraq were discussed.

The delegation expressed its, and the believers’ appreciation to the Kurdistan Region, praising the role of Peshmerga forces in defending territories and all the communities of the Kurdistan Region.

The members of the delegation also expressed their appreciation to the people and the government of Kurdistan Region who have opened doors for victims of terrorism from various religious and ethnic origins, especially those Christians, including the believers of the Assyrian Church of the East, who have fled from Syria and other parts of Iraq and sought safety in Kurdistan Region.

The delegation expressed its gratitude to the Kurdistan regional Government, KRG, for its support to build a Church for believers of the Assyrian Church of the East in Erbil, hailing the role of the KRG Ministry of Endowment and Religious Affairs.

Prime Minister Barzani reiterated that the people and government of Kurdistan Region respect all ethnic and religious communities. He said that despite enduring financial difficulties, the KRG has been providing assistance to the refugees and internally displaced people.

He also reiterated KRG’s support for building a Church for believers of Assyrian Church of the East, stressing that the government will provide all assistance for the implementation of the project.

Prime Minister Barzani pointed out the role of the Peshmerga forces in their fight against ISIS, stressing that they defend humanity, freedom, territories and peoples of the region, on behalf of the entire world.

He described the war against ISIS as a significant and uneasy challenge. He said, only by military means, ISIS cannot be defeated; rather it needs to be countered by cultural and educational tools.

Prime Minister Barzani emphasised that the new generation must be educated according to principles of coexistence and tolerance.

Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq (cabinet.gov.krd) - In a statement, the Kurdistan regional Government Council of Ministers strongly condemned the bomb attach which targeted a mass electoral gathering in the city of Diyarbakir.

Following is the text of the statement:

We strongly condemn the bomb attack, yesterday evening, which targeted a mass electoral rally of People’s Democratic Party, HDP, in the city of Diyarbakir, killing a number of citizens and wounding scores of them.

At the time when we express our deep sorrow and condolences to the families of those killed, we wish a prompt recovery for the injured.

We hope that all the sides will resort only to legal procedures, and that this cowardly act would not lead to irresponsible reactions in the last days of the electoral campaign, and would not disturb the general atmosphere and the conduct of the electoral process.

Council of Ministers
Kurdistan Regional Government

6 June 2015

Salahadin, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, (Krp.org)- President Masoud Barzani received a papal delegation today headed by Cardinal Fernando Filoni, the Special Envoy to His Holiness Pope Francis. During the meeting Cardinal Filoni extended the greetings of His Holiness Pope Francis to President Barzani and expressed his repeated gratitude to the Kurdistan Region for their efforts at assisting the Christian refugees.

President Barzani warmly welcomed the delegation and conveyed his personal greetings to His Holiness Pope Francis, adding that the Kurdistan Region takes pride in the fact that it has historically been a region of coexistence between people of all ethnic and religious backgrounds and that reality will remain a par of the values and principles of the Kurdistan Region.

In a telephone call, Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani congratulated Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi for the liberation of the city of Tikrit by Iraqi forces from ISIS terrorists. The Iraqi PM also congratulated President Barzani for the recent successes of the Peshmerga forces against the terrorists. They underlined the importance of cooperation and coordination between the Iraqi forces and the Peshmerga forces to defeat the ISIS terrorists.

Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq (cabinet.gov.krd) – Kurdistan Region Deputy Prime Minister, Qubad Talabani, yesterday received a delegation from German Parliament, which included representatives from Christian Democratic Party, Social Democratic Party, left Party, and Green party.

The aim of the German Parliament delegation's visit to the Kurdistan Region was to closely observe the military, humanitarian and economic situation of the Kurdistan Region.

The members of the visiting delegation expressed their appreciation for the fact that, despite the war against terrorism and the economic crisis, the Kurdistan Regional Government, KRG, has been able to protect the Region’s peace and security, and provide shelter and assistance to scores of refugees and displaced people, who fled the violent repression of the Islamic State terrorist organisation, ISIS, and took refuge in the Kurdistan Region.

They reiterated their support both at humanitarian and military levels.

The German Parliament delegation also hailed the peaceful coexistence, which prevails among the religious and ethnic communities in the Kurdistan Region.

Deputy Prime Minister Talabani expressed his appreciation for the visit, and stressed that Germany has assisted Kurdistan Region in hard days, particularly by providing military aid and training to the Peshmerga forces that have resulted in positive achievements and progress in the fight against ISIS.  

He urged Germany to continue its support and assistance as, despite the fact that Peshmerga forces have been successful on the battlefront and taking back Kurdistan territories, the terrorist threat has not been definitively eradicated.

Deputy Prime Minister Talabani briefed the German Parliament delegation about the Kurdistan economic situation and the background of political differences between the KRG and Iraqi Federal Government.

The meeting was also attended by KGR Minister of Interior, Karim Sinjari, Minister of Planning, Ali Sindi, Minister of Health, Halkawt Hama Rashid and KRG Spokesperson, Safeen Dizayee.

Erbil, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, (Krp.org)- President Masoud Barzani welcomed a delegation from the Federal Government of Iraq headed by Prime Minister Haydar al-Abadi. The delegation included a number of military and security officials as well as immigration and other Iraqi officials. President Barzani and Prime Minister al-Abadi discussed the latest military advanced by the Peshmerga forces and commended their achievements and also the Iraqi armed forces and the latest advances against the terrorists of the Islamic State in the province of Tikrit. The two sides also spoke of the upcoming operations especially regarding the liberation of Mosul from the hands of the terrorists of the Islamic State.

Prime Minister al-Abadi stated that the mutual interests of the Kurdistan Region and the Federal Government in Baghdad are far more significant than any obstacles. On his part, President Barzani stated that the cooperation between Erbil and Baghdad will continue and that the relations between the two will only be strengthened.

Prior to the completion of the Prime Minister's visit to Erbil, President Barzani and Prime Minister al-Abadi visited the refugee camp of Bahrke in the outskirts of Erbil to see the current situation of IDPs from the Nineveh plains and other areas that have been under the control of the terrorists of the Islamic State. President Barzani and Prime Minister al-Abadi both stated to a number of families in the camp that their main priority is liberating their areas and ridding Iraq of terrorists.

Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani today met with a visiting German government delegation in Salahaddin to discuss German military assistance to the Kurdistan Region peshmerga forces.

Heading the German delegation, German Deputy Minister of Defense Markus Grübel praised the leadership of President Barzani and the role of the Kurdistan peshmerga forces in taking the fight to the ISIS terrorist. He said the peshmerga are making sacrifices and fighting the ISIS terrorists on behalf of the whole world; he pledged continued German support for the KRG and the peshmerga forces.

President Barzani thanked the people and government of Germany for their military assistance, including training of peshmerga forces. He said German military assistance has been key to many peshmerga gains against the ISIS terrorists.

Salahadin, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, (Krp.org) President Masoud Barzani strongly condemned the terrorist act by the Islamic State today in Erbil. The attack took place in the town of Ainkawa in the outskirts of Erbil. The attack resulted in deaths and injuries of a number of citizens of the Kurdistan Region. The suicide terrorist attack had aimed to affect the morale of the citizens of the Kurdistan Region, though these miserable acts only continue to strengthen the will of the people of Kurdistan and further demonstrate to the world the cowardice of these terrorists.

President Barzani expressed his condolences to the families and loved ones of those who were killed as a result of the terrorist attack and wished speedy recovery for the wounded.