Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq (cabinet.gov.krd) - Kurdistan Region Prime Minister, Nechirvan Barzani, yesterday received United Kingdom Minister of State for International Development, Mr. Desmond Angus Swayne and his accompanying delegation.

Kurdistan Regional Government Deputy Prime Minister, Qubad Talabani, Minister of Interior Karim Sinjari, and Chaldean Archbishop, Bashar Warda were also in attendance.

Minister Swayne expressed appreciation to the Kurdistan Region’s people and government for accommodating and assisting hundreds of thousands of displaced people in the midst of a financial crisis and active fight against terrorism.

He discussed efforts to provide additional assistance in health and education. He reaffirmed the UK Government’s interest in furthering relations with the Kurdistan Region.

Prime Minister Barzani expressed his government's gratitude for the assistance the UK has been offering the Kurdistan Region. He welcomed further development of relations with the UK, including economic ties, and stressed the urgent need for additional assistance from the international community.

He explained the Region’s response in accomodating displaced people seeking refuge in Kurdistan Region, the war situation against the Islamic State terrorist organisation, ISIS and the effectiveness of Peshmerga forces, as well as the financial crisis due to the failure of Baghdad to provide Kurdistan Region's full share from the federal budget as agreed with Erbil.

Nazem Dabbagh the representative of the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq in Tehran, in talk with E’temad Press, dealt with Turkey-P.K.K crisis, of which outlines followed:

In the response to the first question relating chasing and escaping of Turkey’s Kurds and Army Dabbagh said: unhappily instead of following peace and comfortable solution with Kurds, Turkish government has highly increased its military performance against Turkey’s Kurds and put more pressure on the people of the country more than ever. Even though Kurdish people and political organization and their fans intend to bring an end to siege of the people in the country but unfortunately we are witnessing that people are deprived and refugee, besides leaving many injuries these attacks have not left many way to treat. He added that Ankara would increase these pressures.

Concerning the effectiveness of military way to overcome P.K.K Dabbagh stated: this has been experienced many times during long years. Military way have not given favorable outcome for many years and P.K.K and Kurds will live their own life. Both KRG and different European countries are following that both side put an end to their concerns through talk. During past years Turkish government entered into negotiations, in spite of reaching a peaceful process the government has begun to strike again. Dabbagh also added that Ahmad Davoudoghlu’s claim, P.M of Turkey, about wiping the P.K.K out reminds him of the president of former Iraqi regime talking about Kurds of this country.  

Italian News Agency carried out a talk with Nazem Dabbagh of which main points follow. Before answering the questions he declared: I, Nazem Dabbagh,am on my behalf not Representation of Kurdistan Region Government, put my views.

About the presidency of the Region Nazem Dabbagh Said: this has two sides, one is the reformation and the rules of Regional presidency, and another is the extension of the presidency of the Region for one extra round. He added that in September 17, 2015 two suggestions were offered Mr. Barezani and Democrat party on the behalf of four other parties of the Region about which Democrat Party will reveal his opinion. Another issue is whether Mr. Barezani can be candidate for presidency or not.

In a response to another question concerning the position of Islamic Republic of Iran about Iraq and the Region, Mr. Dabbagh said: I.R. of Iran’s view- Haj Qassem Soleimani was that the security and peace of Iraq and Kurdistan Region matter to Iran and it requires to be protected. That is why to solve interior problems of the Region and the concerns among parties is necessary and important. He went on: Iran believes that trough respecting each other it is possible to reach agreement and it disagrees to impose and force one by another. Coalition government needs agreement, Iranians has not reached to a point yet to support a special side. At last Iranian delegations were just listeners, and insisted on their views to solve the problems through agreement and agree with unity of Iraq and Kurdistan Region.

Relating to Kurds of Turkey Dabbagh stated: it is evident that Turkish Kurds is a part of Turkey now, and it is several years that armed fighting has begun, and at several times, especially at the time of Turgot Ouzal and Mam Jalal Talibani, for the first time the process of peace and peacefully solving the concerns between Kurds and Turkey was put. Of course, since 1986 up to now, more than 25 armed strikes have been conducted from Turkey Army against P.K.K. and Kurds. As a result of that, three years ago peace process according to set of promises and threats which Erdogan made to Kurds and Masoud Barezani and mam Jalal Talibani supported it got started. He added: I personally condemn the killing of polices and the massacre of Sorouc. He who decided to start a nationwide war was Erdogan and Turkey not Turkish Kurds. He continued: some have put phrases that they would not give up until they vanished P.K.K. Former Iraqi’s regimes also said such sayings, until the great defeat happened as a result of Al-Geria Agreement. All Kurds put their guns down and many got homeless. We witnessed Mam Jalal and Kak Masoud, which Iraqis land and water were called illegal to them, continued fighting. One grew the President of Iraq and the other the president of Kurdistan Region.

About the relations of some countries with Patriotic Unity of Kurdistan he stated: I believe that these relations is natural provided that interior regulations and the Constitution are respected. These relations are not just limited to Patriotic of Kurdistan, so do many organizations and parties of Kurds, Syria and Turkey. Thus he insisted that this must not lead to penetrate into interior affairs.

another concern by Dabbagh was to strength HDP party and those agreeing with the agreement in Turkey followed by the recent changes of Erdogan Government, to establish Kurdish-Syrian party offices in Erbil, Soleimanieh and Dohuk, the role of Patriotic Unity about peace, PYD’s right to establish relation with other countries, the possibility to unify Kurds and be supported by great powers, inefficiency of building border wall in order to prevent Kurdish refugees to Turkey, necessity of noticing refugees’ needs and finally the unity of Pishmerga and to create unity in parties and Kurdish groups.   

Link:

http://www.notiziegeopolitiche.net/?p=56604

The Hague, The Netherlands (dfr.gov.krd) Today Head of the KRG Department of Foreign Relations Minister Falah Mustafa, together with two Yezidi NGOs, submitted a comprehensive report to the office of the ICC chief prosecutor in the Hague regarding the ISIS genocide against the Yezidis. This comes as a follow-up to previous efforts, and this detailed report provides further information.

The delegation delivered the detailed report to the chief prosecutor's office for analysis, with the hope that the ICC will open a preliminary investigation into these crimes on the basis of this supplemental report.

Despite the fact that Iraq is not an ICC member state, the court does have jurisdiction over the activities of ICC member state nationals wherever they may commit crimes. It is hoped that this report (the redacted version is linked below) will prompt the ICC to commence its preliminary investigation by demonstrating that the international court has jurisdiction, due to the large number and heinous nature of the crimes perpetrated by ISIS foreign fighters who are nationals of ICC member states.

Minister Mustafa said, "The KRG fully supports the prospect of an ICC investigation, and we know that Yezidis rightly demand justice. The peaceful Yezidi community was deliberately and brutally targeted by ISIS, and the international community has a responsibility to ensure that this genocide is recognized. Now that the evidence is there, it is the time for international legal bodies to play their roles and conduct appropriate investigations." He added, "As a matter of principle, the KRG seeks justice and recognition so that these crimes are properly documented, victims are compensated, and genocide is not repeated.”

Meeting Dutch Foreign Minister

As part of his visit to the Netherlands, the Head of the KRG Department of Foreign Relations met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, Mr Bert Koenders in the Hague to discuss bilateral ties as well as recent military and humanitarian developments.

Minister Mustafa gave an overview of the role of the Kurdistan Region in fighting the ISIS terrorists and the situation and the needs of the Syrian refugees and Iraqi displaced people in the Kurdistan Region.

Reiterating KRG’s commitment to continue the fight against terrorists and to carry on its open door policy towards refugees and displaced people, the KRG Minister called for continued international support.

He stated that the scale and magnitude of the challenges are beyond the capabilities of the KRG; the challenges have placed an incredible burden on the government and the people of the Kurdistan Region. The Minister thanked the Dutch government for providing humanitarian and military support to Kurdistan Region and stressed the need to receive further and continued support from the international community.

Minister Koenders highly spoke of the role of Kurdistan Region in the fight against ISIS terrorists and in caring for Syrian refugees and Iraqi displaced people. The Dutch Minister reiterated the commitment of his government to continue supporting Kurdistan at both humanitarian and military levels.

Both Ministers discussed bilateral ties and areas of potential cooperation in order to increase economic and investment cooperation.

Minister Mustafa also briefed Minister Koenders on the KRG’s efforts to gain international recognition for the crimes committed by the ISIS terrorists against the Yezidi Kurds and other components in the Kurdistan Region and called for moral, legal and political support of the Dutch government. Minister Koenders expressed the readiness of his government to support such efforts and said that the perpetrators of such crimes must be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.