Salahaddin, Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRP.org) – In response to inaccurate media reports about the postponement of President Barzani’s visit to Washington, D.C., Kurdistan Region Presidency Spokesman Omed Sabah said in a statement that it was President Barzani who decided to postpone the visit to a more convenient date.

“In fact all preparations were already made by the U.S. Administration, and dates were set for meetings with senior Administration officials and the U.S. President. But President Barzani made the decision to postpone his visit to a more convenient time. This was a subject of discussion in the telephone conversation between the U.S. Vice President and the Kurdistan Region President on Friday,” said the statement

Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq - (DFR.krg.org) – The Head of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Department of Foreign Relations (DFR), Minister Falah Mustafa welcomed the nonresident Canadian Ambassador to Iraq and Jordan, Mr Bruno Saccomani today to discuss the future of bilateral relations between Canada and the KRG.

This visit comes as a follow-up of the Ambassador's visit to the DFR in early October 2013 where the newly appointed Ambassador announced his six months plan to strengthen bilateral ties with the Kurdistan Region and its Government.

Minister Mustafa welcomed Ambassador Saccomani’s efforts and his support and dedication to the Kurdistan Region.

Ambassador Saccomani assured Minister Mustafa that he sees great potential in Kurdistan and is willing to put Kurdistan as well as Iraq on the forefront of Canada’s foreign policy.

Canada is due to sending a Trade delegation of a number of companies to visit the Kurdistan Region and explore its endless opportunities for investment.

Minister Mustafa briefed the Ambassador on the Syrian Refugee crisis and of the increased number of IDPs who have fled to the Kurdistan Region as violence continues in the Anbar province.

Ambassador Saccomani was accompanied by the Canadian Charge d'affairs in Baghdad, Ms Stephanie Duhaime and Senior Trade Commissioner, Jean-Philippe Tachdjian.

Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq – (DFR.krg.org) – Claudia Roth, who is the Vice-President of the German Bundestag as well as a member of Germany’s Green Party, met with the Head of the KRG Department of Foreign Relations (DFR), Minister Falah Mustafa to discuss areas of mutual concern and bilateral relations.

The Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, Brita Wagener, the German Consul General, Alfred Simms-Protz, and the Assistant Head of the DFR, Siham Jabali also attended the meeting.

Minister Mustafa welcomed Vice-President Roth to the Kurdistan Region and congratulated her on her recent appointment as the Vice-President of the German Bundestag. He briefed her and the accompanying delegation on the situation in the region, the complexity of the Syria crisis, the recent developments in Iraq, as well as strengthening bilateral relations with the Federal Republic of Germany.

In regards to the Syrian refugee crisis, Ms Roth was impressed by KRG’s level of cooperation and commitment to the large influx of Syrian refugees crossing the border into the Kurdistan Region, and thanked the people and the government of Kurdistan for their response.

Minister Mustafa expressed the KRG’s appreciation for the German Government’s response and efforts in alleviating the suffering of the refugees and urged for further assistance from the international community given that the number of refugees is expected to rise.

Both sides exchanged views on the Geneva II peace talks with Minister Mustafa emphasizing that the KRG should have been among those invited to the conference given that the region is being directly affected by the conflict. He added that at this point, there is no military solution to the Syrian crisis; we must rather focus on political settlements.

The Minister went on to brief Vice-President Roth about the recent security developments in the Anbar province, which has resulted in a number of IDPs fleeing the violence into Kurdistan. They also exchanged views on Iraq’s forthcoming parliamentary elections and the importance of elections being held on time. 

The KRG enjoys friendly relations with the Federal Republic of Germany and wishes to further enhance these relations. Both sides discussed ways of consolidating these bilateral ties through the KRG representation in Germany and German institutions in the Kurdistan Region. Minister Mustafa concluded by asking Vice-President Roth for her support in the German Parliament for the recognition of Genocide against the Kurdish people and promoting Kurdish friendship within in the German Parliament. 

 Davos, Switzerland (KRP.org) – Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani today concluded his visit to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. During his participation at the Forum, the President took part in two high-level discussion sessions; one on the events unfolding in the Middle East and North Africa, and one on the conflict in Syria, and their implications for the region in general.

During his three-day stay in Davos, the President also held meetings with the prime ministers of Holland and Georgia, and the foreign ministers of France, Turkey and Sweden. These discussions focused on enhancing bilateral relations and included consultations on the political and security challenges facing Iraq, Syria and the wider region.

In all his meetings , President Barzani drew attention to the plight of the more than 250,000 Syrian refugees who have sought refuge in Kurdistan, and underlined the importance of more international assistance for these refugees. On the conflict in Syria, he also reiterated that there is no military solution to the conflict in Syria, and that only a political settlement can lead to a resolution.

In the meeting between the President and the French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, both emphasized continued close cooperation and hope that these bilateral ties will become increasingly enhanced. Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said he is very pleased with his country’s bilateral relations with the Kurdistan Region. The President said the KRG is equally pleased with this relationship and is keen to further develop ties with France. He also extended an invitation for the Foreign Minister to visit Erbil.

The meeting between the President and Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu focused on bilateral ties and the dialogue currently underway between Erbil and Baghdad to reach a settlement on the issues of oil and gas exports through Turkey. They both expressed their hope and optimism that Erbil and Baghdad can soon reach a resolution, one that is also in the interest of Iraq as whole.

On the sidelines of the Forum, President Barzani also met the President of Exxon Mobil Corporation, Rex Tilerson, and Chevron’s Vice President for Business Development, Jay Pryor. Chevron’s Vice President thanked the KRG for its close cooperation with the company and briefed the President about the activities and the progress of their work in Kurdistan.

Dr. Jegar-Khoein, vice-representative of Kurdistan Region participated in the funeral service of Master Hussien Yusef Zamani, the well-known Kurdish composer and player in Tehran. Blessed Master Hussein Yusef Zamani’s, the well-known composer and violinist, funeral service was held by the presence Iranian and Kurdish artists and authorities like Ali Moradkhani, the art vice-minister of Islamic Culture and Guidance, Dr. Jegar-Khoein, the vice-representative of Kurdistan Region in Tehran, Hushang Kamkar, composer and the supervisor of Kamkaran Group, Bijan Kamkar, the vocalist and well-known Daff player, Dr. Jalal Jalalizadeh, University professor and Sanandaj representative in six round of Islamic Council Parliament, Sadigh Ta’rif, Kurdish singer, Dr. Kambiz Roshanravan, well-known composer, Bijan Bijani, singer and calligraphist, milad Kiaei, the composer and glockenspiel player, Hamidreza Atefi, the researcher of music and the member of Iran Music Home Board,  Dr. As’ad Ardalan, Uninversity professor and international relations expert, Fazel Jamshidi, traditional singer, bahram Valadbeigi, Kurdish journalist and the head of Kurdistan Cultural Institute in Tehran, Mohammad Golriz, singer, Majid Akhshabi, the composer and singer, Abdollah Sohrabi, the Marivan representative in sixth round of Islamic Council Parliament, jamshid Azizkhani, the singer of Kermanshah, Mohammad Raouf Moradi, Kurdish researcher and writer, some members of the board of directors of Kurd Society inhabited in the center, . . . .

The Kurdish musician Master Hussein Ysef Zamani passed away on Tuesday, on Dey 10 of the current year due to marrow cancer at the age of 80 in TehranGars hospital in Tehran. The corpse of blessed Ysef Zamani, the well-known composer was participated in funeral procession by the presence of countless numbers of Iranian and Kurdish artists and authority in front of Tehran Vahdat Saloon to the cemetery at 10 o’clock, on Saturday, dey 14 and buried in the artists part of Iran at 12.   

 Davos, Switzerland (KRP.org) – Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani arrived in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday to participate in the annual World Economic Forum.

In his first engagement at the Forum, the President met with the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. The Dutch Prime Minister said he is pleased that there has been a lot of progress since their meeting last year in Davos, and hoped that these ties can further go forward between the two sides.

President Barzani concurred with Prime Minister Rutte about the progress in relations and also expressed KRG readiness to further enhance bilateral ties, adding that the visit by the Dutch Foreign Minister Frans Timmerman to Erbil in September 2013 was a clear sign of the progress in bilateral ties.

The two also discussed the plight of the Syrian refugees in Kurdistan, relations between Erbil and Baghdad, the upcoming Iraqi parliamentary elections in April, the current security situation in Anbar province and the threat of terrorism.

Prime Minister Rutte praised the KRG for hosting such a large number of refugees and said they realize this put a great burden on the KRG resources.

“We now have about 250,000 Syrian refugees, mostly Kurds, in Kurdistan. For us, it’s both a humanitarian and national obligation to look after them. I hope the international community will be more forthcoming in providing aid to the Syrian refugees in Kurdistan,” said the President.

On relations between Erbil and Baghdad, the President said that there is no dialogue between the two sides, and expressed his hope that all the outstanding issues between the two can be resolved through these talks and within the framework of the Iraqi Constitution.

Brussels, Belgium (KRP.org) - Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani today addressed a special meeting of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the European Union’s Parliament in Brussels.

In an event attended by a large number of MEPs, in his address the President talked about the latest political and security developments in Iraq, in Kurdistan and in the wider region.

He called on the EU parliament to show solidarity with the people of Kurdistan and called on them to help seek recognition of the crimes against the Kurdistan people in Iraq as crimes of genocide. He said, “We would like you to show solidarity with the rights of the people of Kurdistan. We also call on you to expend all your efforts to recognize the genocide against our people.”

The President attributed the relative stability and security in Kurdistan, to the policy of tolerance and peaceful co-existence between the various religious and ethnic communities in Kurdistan.

“In the aftermath of the 1991 March uprising in Iraqi Kurdistan, we did not set out seek revenge against the people who oppressed us. Again, after the fall of the regime in 2003, we did not take resort to revenge against anyone. We opened a new chapter with our own people and with others, and this greatly helped us focus our efforts on rebuilding our country and lessen the pains and suffering of our people. As a result of this policy, the Kurdistan Region enjoys a high degree of security and stability,” said the President.

Following the President’s address, a number of MEPs posed questions to the President, and they all hailed the important progress that Kurdistan has made in the areas of security, stability, and economic development. They particularly commended President Barzani’s leadership and the KRG for their generous policy of hosting large numbers of refugees and the religious tolerance that prevails in Kurdistan.

Full text of the address delivered by the President:

First, I would like to thank the EU Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee for inviting us here today. There is no doubt that the EU has an extremely important role to play and there is considerable potential for cooperation in many areas between the EU and Federal Iraqi Government as well as the KRG, particularly in economic and trade interest. As you are aware there is an agreement between the EU and the Iraqi Federal government, We hope the KRG will have a role to play within the framework of this agreement, to bring closer together the EU and our country, and the EU parliament and the Kurdistan Region.

I would like to here today to just briefly you of the tragic situation of the people of Kurdistan. They have suffered because of a number of hostile campaigns aimed at them in Iraq. We have been victims of chemical weapons and the infamous Anfal campaign in which 182,000 people disappeared, of which we have only been able to recover the remains of about 4,000 of them from mass graves across the southern Iraqi deserts. The search continues for the remaining victims. In the chemical attack on Halabja, in the space of just a few minutes, 5,000 innocent civilians, mostly women and children, were gassed to death.

Ladies and gentlemen,

We in the Kurdistan Region have adopted the policy of tolerance and peaceful co-existence and the accepting of each other. In the aftermath of the 1991 March uprising in Iraqi Kurdistan, we did not set out seek revenge against the people who oppressed us. Again, after the fall of the regime in 2003, we did not take resort to revenge against anyone. We opened a new chapter with our own people and with others, and this greatly helped us focus our efforts on rebuilding our country and lessen the pains and suffering of our people. As a result of this policy, the Kurdistan Region enjoys a high degree of security and stability. This has also helped many international companies from different countries to come to invest in Kurdistan. As a simple example, before 2003, per capita income in Kurdistan was less than 500 US dollars; now it is more than 5000 US dollars. We are at the beginning of the road in building democratic institutions, and we need your help and expertise to build these institutions. We would like you to show solidarity with the rights of the people of Kurdistan. We also call on you to expend all your efforts to recognize the genocide against our people. We also would like you to work with the relevant parties to establish an EU representation office in the Kurdistan Region, which would help enhancing economic ties between Kurdistan and the EU countries.

We would also like to urge you to support the political process in Iraq on the basis of the Iraqi Constitution and democracy and federalism, and in the fight against terrorism. Unfortunately, terrorism has become a dangerous phenomenon targeting all the peoples of the world. We ourselves have suffered a great deal from terrorism, but we are steadfast in our fight against it, as there is no other way in dealing with terrorism.

We have adopted the policy of tolerance and religious freedom. Women in Kurdistan play their role in building our society and institutions. We now host 250,000 Syrian refugees, mostly Kurds, but there are Arabs and Christina among them too. We are also hosting 200,000 Iraqi Arabs from center and south of the country, who fled to Kurdistan from threat of terrorism and in search of security. There are now 10,000 Christian families who have also fled from other parts of Iraq. In addition to this, some 15,000 people from the Anbar province have fled to Kurdistan.

We are proud of the fact that Kurdistan has become a haven for so many people. However, I must point out that the assistance from the international community for these refugees has not been in par with the assistance provided to refugees in other countries in the region.

As a factor of stability, we in the Kurdistan Region will continue with our policy and do all we can with other Iraqi groups to resolve our problems and to build the institutions of the state. We reiterate our commitment to the Iraqi Constitution. Once again, I would like to ask you for your support and assistance. Thank you very much.

Kuwait City, Kuwait – (DFR.krg.org) – A delegation from Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region, led by Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari attended the Second International Humanitarian Pledging Conference for Syria in which 68 countries and 24 international organisations participated.

Minister Zebari was accompanied by the representative of the Kurdistan Regional Government, the Head of the Department of Foreign Relations, Minister Falah Mustafa.

The aim of the donor conference was to gain further humanitarian assistance for the Syrian refugees and internally displaced people who have been affected since the start of the conflict in March 2011.

The conference was opened by the Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and chaired by the UN Secretary-General  Ban Ki-moon. As the host of the conference, the Emir urged the international community to get together in order to help those who have been affected by the Syrian conflict and pledged $500 million to the cause.

Mr Ban thanked the Emir of Kuwait for his generosity and hospitality, and encouraged the international community to continue providing humanitarian assistance to the refugees who have paid the biggest price for the ongoing war in Syria.

During his opening speech, the UN Secretary-General thanked all countries and international organisations for their presence and active participation.

Valerie Amos, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Antonio Gutierrez, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, and others addressed the conference and urged countries to make donations to meet UN’s $6.5 billion appeal for Syria.

Minister Zebari emphasised that  military intervention was not the  solution to the conflict in Syria, pinning hopes on the Geneva II Conference which is set to take place later this month.

This year Iraq pledged $13 million in addition to the $58 million it has already contributed in relief funds to the Syrian refugees and IDPs in Iraq.

The Kurdistan Region has seen a large influx of Syrian refugees in addition to the thousands of Iraqi families that have fled to the Region as violence continues in other parts of Iraq. There are currently over 250,000 Syrian refugees in Iraq, including those who are registered and non-registered. The vast majority are in Kurdistan.

The KRG has so far provided $70 million in relief funds including the provision of basic needs such as food, shelter, clean water and sanitation, as well as emergency health care. However, the KRG is overstretched and has been calling for urgent international assistance.

Minister Mustafa, highlighted the importance of the conference as well as the role Kuwait and the UN have played in helping the vulnerable people fleeing Syria. 'The KRG is committed to helping the refugees and appreciates any contributions made,' he said, adding that the need to end the violence is of paramount importance.

The United States of America was among the most generous donors, contributing $380 million.

The one-day conference concluded with donor countries pledging a total of $2.4 billion to help the Syrian refugees. This exceeds the $1.5 billion raised during last year's International Humanitarian Pledging Conference for Syria.

In the margins of the conference, the Iraqi delegation, led by Minister Zebari and including KRG Minister Mustafa, met with the Prime Minister of Lebanon, Najib Mikati, and Kuwait's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Sheikh Sabah Khalid Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, to discuss bilateral relations, the Syrian crisis and the Geneva II Conference.