Salahadin, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, (Krp.org)- President Masoud Barzani received a delegation from Qatar headed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Khalid bin Mohammad al-Attiyah. During the meeting President Barzani and Dr. al-Attiyah spoke of the latest political and security developments in Iraq and in the Kurdistan Region. President Barzani emphasized on the importance of a wide coalition against the terrorists of the Islamic State as such enemy ought to be defeated at all cost.

Dr. al-Attiyah highlighted the role of President Barzani in the global effort against the Islamic State and stated that Qatar will continue to support the efforts of he Kurdistan Region.

Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq (cabinet.gov.krd) - Kurdistan Region Prime Minister, Nechirvan Barzani, made a statement on the occasion of the nuclear deal reached between representatives of 5 +1 group of countries, which include the five permanent members of the UN Security Council as well as Germany and the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Following is the text of the statement:

On the occasion of the agreement reached between 5 +1 group of countries and the Islamic Republic of Iran, on the Iranian nuclear file, we extend our congratulations to the leader, the Presidency and the people of Iran. We hope that this agreement will mark the beginning of enhancing cooperation and coordination between the countries and peoples of the world, for the sake of achieving world peace and progress of humanity.

This agreement is the evidence that patience and perseverance in talks and negotiations, constitute the best way to bring about agreement between the nations in the world. On this occasion, we highly value the work achieved by all the negotiating delegations, their cooperation and the relentless efforts of the United Nations in maintaining coordination in order to preserve world peace.

With this in mind, I would like to highlight our friendly relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran, and we are confident that this agreement will be a factor of strengthening and further developing the relations between the Kurdistan Region and the Islamic Republic of Iran in all the fields.

Nechirvan Barzani
Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region
15 July 2015

Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq (cabinet.gov.krd) - Kurdistan Region Prime Minister, Nechirvan Barzani, yesterday received the Italian Minister of Defence, Ms. Roberta Pinotti and her accompanying delegation, which included the Italian Consul General to the Kurdistan Region, the Italian army Chief of Staff and a number of diplomats and military officials.

In the meeting, which was also attended by Kurdistan Region Deputy Prime Minister, Qubad Talabani, and a number of Kurdistan Regional Government Ministers and officials, Ms. Pinotti reaffirmed her government’s appreciation for the role played by the Kurdistan Region Peshmerga Forces in the fight against the Islamic State terrorist organisation, ISIS, and in defending and  protecting the  various communities in the Kurdistan Region.

She said that the Kurdistan Region enjoys a high reputation at the global level as its Peshmerga Forces defend civilisation against barbarity.

While she praised the role of the Kurdistan Regional Government for having accommodated and offered assistance to a large number of refugees and displaced persons, who fled ISIS violent repression and took refuge in the Kurdistan Region, Ms. Roberta Pinotti expressed her country’s readiness to help this vulnerable population.

Prime Minister Barzani expressed his gratitude to the Italian people and government for their continuous support, recalling Italian Prime Minister's visit last year, when ISIS began attacking Kurdistan.

The two sides discussed Italy’s military support to the Peshmerga Forces and humanitarian aid to the refugees and IDPs.

Ms. Pinotti and her accompanying delegation arrived Kurdistan Region last night and were received at Erbil International Airport by Mustafa Sayid Qadir, Minister for Peshmerga Affairs, Falah Mustafa, head of the Department of Foreign Relations and Rezan Qadir, KRG representative in Italy.

Diplomacy Irani: the Congress of America has recently passed the draft of the project of arming Pishmerga and Sunni group of Iraq which has created a big fuss. According to this project American government establish a direct connection with Kurds and Iraqi tribes and arm them. The Prime Minister of Iraq has insisted on opposing the project of America Congress arming directly Pishmerga and Sunni tribes. Concerning this we had a talk with Nazem Dabbagh the representative of Kurdistan Region in Tehran of which the main points as followed:

In Dabbagh’s point of view this project is being considered through both Kurdish and legal aspects. Firstly, if central government of Iraq is obedient to the Constitution in order to support Pishmerga to confront ISIS, there will be no need for such project from America. Secondly, in that project the Congress has made some conditions to deliver military aids to KRG including that these aids will be delivered by central government of Iraq, then if central government or Sunni groups do not help Pishmerga to confront ISIS, the military aids will be delivered directly. However in this project it has insisted that delivering the military aids to KRG do not need be effective on the concern of separating Iraq. Concerning the negative reaction of the central government of Iraq to this project Dabbagh said: it seems Iraqi government has been involved in suspicion. If not so, the pass of such project in congress would not have encountered their reaction. All of us even America are in the same position of fighting ISIS. If Iraq government trusted KRG, it instead of a negative reaction would have to declare that we were all Iraqi and united and Pishmerga was a part of defensive forces of Iraq. Thus, Dabbagh’s estimating is that this action of America for directly arming Kurdistan and Sunni tribes of Iraq is to strengthen his effect and presence in the region. Relating the effect of America’s action on the military cooperation of Iran and USA to fight against ISIS Dabbagh said: it seems that after Iran and USA’s closeness in nuclear case, the conditions have happened in a way that the closeness of Tehran-Washington gets more. Of course, the being conditioned of the Congress’s project should be considered specially, and if the government of Iraq is obedient to the Constitution, there will be no need for direct aid of America to Pishmerga.