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.