Erbil, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, (Krp.org)- President Masoud Barzani attended the 89th birthday ceremony of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The ceremony was arranged by the Consulate General of the United Kingdom and was attended by a number of diplomats and KRG officials.

During the ceremony President Barzani reiterated his gratitude for the role of the United Kingdom in the current war against the terrorists of the Islamic State and wished a happy and meaningful birthday to her Majesty.

Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq (cabinet.gov.krd) - Kurdistan Region Prime Minister, Nechirvan Barzani, sent a message of condolences to Mr. Joe Biden, US vice-president on the occasion of passing of his son, Beau Biden.

Following is the text of the message:

Dear Vice President Biden,

On behalf of the people of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq I warmly offer you and your family our heartfelt condolences on the passing of your dear son, Beau.  In shock and deep sadness, we grieve with you, your family, and all Americans.

We should all be inspired by your son's service as a US Military officer, as a leading civil servant who promoted justice and the rule of law, and as an exemplary citizen. In his passing we are learning more about the honor and value of dedicated public service that respects and protects all people regardless of their ethnic and religious backgrounds.

As our families in our many years of struggle have lost and continue to lose so many spouses and siblings, and brothers and sisters, we deeply and sincerely empathize with you and your family.

Please, again, accept our warmest and most heartfelt condolences.

Yours most sincerely,

Nechirvan Barzani,

Prime Minister
Kurdistan Regional Government

Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani participated in the opening session of the World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa in the Dead Sea today and later held meetings with a number of leaders from the region.

The President met with Egyptian President Abdulfatah Al-Sisi, King Abdullah of Jordan, and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to discuss political and security developments in the region, in particular confronting the threat of ISIS terrorism. 

The Egyptian President praised the leadership of President Barzani and the bravery of the peshmerga forces in fighting ISIS and expressed his country’s support to the Kurdistan Region. 

President Barzani also met with Iraq’s Speaker of the Council of Representatives Salim Al-Jibori and Iraq’s Deputy Prime Minister Baha Al-Araji to discuss the latest political and security challenges facing Iraq and the fight against ISIS terrorists. They also discussed relations between Erbil and Baghdad and the need to strengthen ties between the two sides. 

Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq (cabinet.gov.krd) - Kurdistan Region Prime Minister, Nechirvan Barzani, yesterday received United States Ambassador to Iraq, Stuart Jones and his accompanying delegation.

Mr Jones pointed out the visit by Kurdistan Region President, Masoud Barzani and his accompanying delegation to the United States last month, valuing the meetings and talks held during the visit.

The two sides discussed the latest political situation in Iraq, military operations, and the United States support to Iraq in general and Kurdistan Region in particular.

Ambassador Jones reiterated that his country will continue its support to the Peshmerga forces, as it was discussed and stressed during President Barzani’s visit to the United States.

In the meeting, the relations between Erbil and Baghdad and the financial problems which appeared in the Kurdistan Region as the result of Baghdad’s withholding Kurdistan’s budgets early last year, were also discussed.

Ambassador Jones expressed his support for the agreement reached between Kurdistan Region and Iraqi Federal Government last December to settle oil export and budgetary issues.

He also pointed to the situation in the region in general and the importance of the participation of the Sunnis in the political process in Iraq as well the liberation of the Sunni areas under the control of the Islamic State terrorist organisation, ISIS.

Prime Minister Barzani expressed his thanks and appreciation for his assessment of the successful visit of the President of the Kurdistan Region and his accompanying delegation to Washington. In this regard, he thanked the US embassy in Iraq to have organised and set the programme of the visit.

Regarding the humanitarian and military situation, Prime Minister Barzani hoped that the United States will continue its support to the Peshmerga forces and to the Kurdistan Regional Government, KRG, by providing relief aid to the large number of refugees and internally displaces people who sought safety in Kurdistan Region.

Regarding the agreement between Erbil and Baghdad, Prime Minister Barzani outlined KRG's position, saying that the Kurdistan Region has fulfilled its obligations under the agreement. He pointed out that the KRG is waiting for Iraqi Federal Government to meet its obligations by sending Kurdistan Region liabilities adequately, as defined in the agreement, in the coming days.  

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.