Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq – (DFR.krg.org) – The Polish Consul, Roman Jerzy Chalaczkiewicz, visited the KRG Department of Foreign Relations where he met with Minister Falah Mustafa as his tenure in Kurdistan comes to an end.

The Polish Consul General expressed his pleasure at having been the first Polish diplomat stationed in Kurdistan following the opening of their Embassy Consular Office in Kurdistan and said that this was an important step in building bilateral relations. He highlighted that the Polish Government was keen to further develop political, economic and cultural ties with Kurdistan.  

Minister Mustafa welcomed Mr. Chalaczkiewicz to the DFR and said that he is very optimistic about the future of relations since there are many areas of mutual cooperation. He added that Kurdistan can learn a lot from the experiences of Poland, particularly given their similar transition to a democracy after their revolution of 1989.

Both sides agreed that the high number of exchange visits particularly between officials from different regions within Poland to and from Kurdistan was helping strengthen bilateral ties greatly. These visits indicate Poland’s seriousness in building stronger ties with Kurdistan.

In addition to Poland having a Embassy Consular Office in Kurdistan, the KRG also have a Representative Office in Poland headed by Mr. Ziyad Raoof. 

Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq - (DFR.krg.org) – The Head of the KRG Department of Foreign Relations (DFR), Minister Falah Mustafa and the Assistant Head of the DFR, Siham Jabali met with the Swedish Ambassador to Iraq, Jörgen Lindström and the Head of the Sweden Section Office in Erbil, Jessica Svärdström today. They discussed different ways in which bilateral relations can be strengthened between Sweden and Kurdistan. In addition, they exchanged views on the latest political, economic and security developments in Kurdistan and Iraq.

Ambassador Lindström expressed his pleasure at Sweden’s role in helping further develop the health sector in Kurdistan through Swedish companies working in the region.

Both sides expressed their willingness to strengthen their business relations as more Swedish companies wish to invest in Kurdistan

Sweden has a large Kurdish community, and through the KRG Representation in Sweden and the Swedish office here, both sides are hopeful that bilateral relations will strengthen in the areas of education, health, cultural, and economic interaction.

Minister Mustafa went on to brief the Ambassador on the latest updates regarding the KRG’s government formation, and pointed out the challenges that any new democracy faces when attempting to establish a broad based government.

They also discussed the latest developments regarding the ongoing disputes between Erbil and Baghdad and the prospects for resolving the issues, in accordance with the constitution.

They also talked about the Iraqi parliamentary elections that are scheduled to take place at the end of April. Minister Mustafa said ’we need the support of the international community through international observers in order to ensure that elections are held on time and conducted in a free and fair manner.’

Finally they spoke about the ongoing crisis in Syria, its implications and the conditions of the Syrian refugees living in Kurdistan, where the Ambassador stated his country’s continued support in providing assistance to the refugees.

During his trip to Kurdistan, Ambassador Lindström also visited the governorates of Sulemani and Duhok where he held meetings with various officials.

Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq – (DFR.krg.org) - Following the opening of Canada’s Trade Representation Office in Erbil last month, a Canadian delegation headed by Canada’s Ambassador to Iraq Bruno Saccomani visited Kurdistan to work on boosting educational and agricultural ties.

As part of their visit to the region, the delegation visited the Department of Foreign Relations where they were received by the Head of the Department, Minister Falah Mustafa and the Assistant Head of the DFR, Siham Jabali.

Ambassador Saccomani spoke about his pleasure with the speed with which relations are growing between Kurdistan and Canada. He attributed this in part due to the opening of the Trade Representation Office in Erbil and the visit by Canada’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Consular Services, Lynne Yelich last month. A Kurdish – Canadian economic forum also took place during Minister Yelich’s visit.

Minister Mustafa welcomed the delegation and Ambassador Saccomani to the DFR and said that he was pleased with the level of commitment being shown by the Canadian government in finding ways of mutual cooperation. He said, ‘We welcome these exchanges of visits and we would benefit greatly through educational cooperation and exchange programs with Canada.’

The Canadian delegation briefed the Minister about the purposes of this visit, highlighting that they want to focus for now on educational and agricultural cooperation. They added that they hoped that they could build educational linkages, and are working on promoting Canada as a destination for students from the region, both at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The delegation also held meetings at the Ministry of Higher Education and Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources.

Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq – (DFR.krg.org) – The Ambassador of the European Union to Iraq, Ms. Jana Hybaskova, visited the Department of Relations yesterday where she met with Minister Falah Mustafa, to discuss the humanitarian situation of the refugees from Syria in the region and to announce that the EU is planning to open a European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO) in Kurdistan.

This meeting comes days following the visit by the EU Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid & Crisis Response, Kristalina Georgieva, to Kurdistan. Both sides agreed that the Commissioner’s visit was a success and expressed their hope that the visit will help pave the way for further cooperation between Kurdistan and the European Union particularly in terms of the EU providing humanitarian assistance to the refugees and IDP’s currently in the region.

Ambassador Hybaskova spoke about the European Union’s determination in working towards the opening of a European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO) in Kurdistan in the very near future. The purpose of this office would be to provide aid and assistance to the Syrian refugees and displaced people from the rest of Iraq who currently reside in Kurdistan.

For his part, the Head of the DFR welcomed the decision by the EU to open an ECHO representation in Kurdistan and expressed the readiness of the DFR to cooperate and coordinate with the office in order to ensure it succeeds in its mission.

Minister Mustafa then went on to discuss the latest political and security situation in Kurdistan and Iraq, and briefed the Ambassador on the latest developments regarding the disputes between Erbil and Baghdad. Minister Mustafa added that it was vital that the Iraqi parliamentary elections are held on schedule and hoped that the EU would contribute by sending international observers to monitor these elections.

Both sides went on to discuss the Syrian crisis and its effects on the region, particularly on a humanitarian level with over a quarter of a million refugees now living in Kurdistan. Minister Mustafa proposed that the Ambassador speak with her EU counterparts in Baghdad, so that they can schedule a visit by all the EU Ambassadors stationed in Baghdad to the Kurdistan Region, to discuss ways in which to further assist the refugees and other issues of importance. 

Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq – (DFR.krg.org) – The Head of the Department of Foreign Relations (DFR), Minister Falah Mustafa, welcomed the Deputy Head of Mission to the Dutch Embassy in Iraq, Gerard Lucius, to discuss ways of further strengthening mutual relations as well as the latest political and security developments in Kurdistan and Iraq. The meeting was also attended by the Assistant Head of the DFR, Siham Jabali.

Minister Mustafa highlighted the importance that the Kurdistan Regional Government places in reaching out to the international community and strengthening relations with countries around the world. This includes the strengthening of relations with the Netherlands, which historically opened their doors to large numbers of Kurdish people who had to flee during the times of the former Baathist regime.

Despite being satisfied with the level of relations between both sides, Minister Mustafa conveyed his hopes to the Deputy Head of Mission that the Netherlands will upgrade their diplomatic representation in Kurdistan to a Consulate General, as this well help increase economic, political and cultural cooperation. In addition he hoped that the Dutch Government would begin consular services which would include the issuance of visas.

Describing Kurdistan’s progress, Minister Mustafa added that the Kurdistan Region has a lot of opportunities for work and investment, adding that the Dutch Government can take advantage of these opportunities by promoting and encouraging Dutch companies to participate in the process of reconstruction and development in Kurdistan.

Both sides went on to discuss the latest developments regarding relations between Baghdad and Erbil, the deteriorating security situation in the Anbar province and the upcoming Iraqi parliamentary elections scheduled for the 30th April of next month, which Minister Mustafa said he hoped would be held on time and with no delay.

In terms of the Syrian crisis, Minister Mustafa expressed his hope that the international community and the Dutch Government would provide further assistance for the over quarter of a million refugees that have fled Syria and currently live in Kurdistan. In addition to these refugees, the Head of the DFR added that over 30,000 people have fled Anbar to Kurdistan because of the ongoing violence adding to the large numbers of internally displaced people who have sought refuge in Kurdistan from the rest of Iraq.

Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq - (DFR.krg.org) – A delegation from the UK Export Finance Department visited the DFR to discuss opportunities for building further relations with Kurdistan in various fields of infrastructure and investment.

The UK delegation was led by Steve Dodgson, the Business Group Director of UK Export Finance and included the British Consul General, Hugh Evans and a team of UK Export Finance which included Mr. Paul Radford, Mr. Max Griffen, and Mr. Tahir Ahmed. The Assistant Head of the DFR, Siham Jabali and other senior DFR officials also attended the meeting.

Mr. Dodgson expressed UK Export Finance’s willingness to start their activities in the Kurdistan Region and stated that Kurdistan will be a new market for them. He added that this visit is a fact finding mission which should provide them with a better understanding of Kurdistan and the way it operates.

The Head of the DFR, Minister Falah Mustafa, highlighted the importance of foreign investment and in ensuring the continued development of Kurdistan. He reiterated that the United Kingdom was Kurdistan’s partner of choice and hoped that UK Export Finance Department would find suitable opportunities here in Kurdistan.

Speaking about the KRG’s shift towards seeking quality over quantity, Minister Mustafa said, ‘We want to provide our people with the best services and UK Export Finance can play a significant role in assuring that companies succeed in their mission in Kurdistan.’

Minister Mustafa highlighted that the KRG has prioritized three sectors for development which are agriculture, industry and tourism, in addition to the importance of building up the energy and infrastructure sectors.

Finally, they discussed the importance of the environment and both sides agreed that in order to create a long term and successful infrastructure, the environment needed to be preserved.

Commenting on the visit, the British Consul General said, ‘The fact that this is a senior delegation visiting from the UK Export Finance Department underscores the level of commitment from the UK towards enhancing relations with Kurdistan.’

The UK Export Finance is an export credit agency, helping exporters and investors by providing credit insurance policies, political risk insurance on overseas investments and guarantees on bank loans.

During their visit to Kurdistan, Mr. Dodgson and his accompanying delegation met with a number of KRG officials to set the groundwork for future cooperation. 

Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq – (DFR.krg.org) – Today, the Korean Ambassador to Iraq, Heyon Meyong Kim, met with the Head of the KRG Department of Foreign Relations (DFR), Minister Falah Mustafa and the Assistant Head of the DFR, Ms Siham Jabali as part of his farewell visit to Kurdistan as his two year tenure in Iraq concludes.

Ambassador Meyong Kim and Minister Falah Mustafa spoke about the history of their nations to which the ambassador stated that in his two years as ambassador to Iraq, he has learned a lot about the Kurdistan region, the Kurdish culture and the people. He went on to praise Kurdistan’s rapid development and drew parallels between Korea and the Kurdistan Region. He praised the Kurdish leadership for their vision which has helped pave the way for this economic development and progress in the region.

Minister Mustafa informed him of the history of oppression in Kurdistan and said “we have come a long way but we are still facing many challenges and we can learn lessons from your experience and your history.” He went on to say that “Kurdistan is based on a culture of hope and optimism.’

Earlier in the day the Korean Ambassador, along with other foreign diplomats, had attended a ceremony where the remains of 93 Barzanis who lost their lives during the Anfal were returned to Kurdistan to be reburied in Barzan. The Ambassador had been very moved at the event.

Both sides discussed Turkey – KRG relations as well as KRG relations with Baghdad to which Minister Mustafa stated, “for peace and cooperation you need partners.”

They went on to discuss ways of enhancing bilateral ties between Korea and Kurdistan through cultural exchange programs and the continuity of capacity building programs by the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) in Kurdistan.

On that note, Ambassador Meyong Kim informed Minister Mustafa on future programs initiated by The Korean Transport Institute (KOTI), a Korean think tank for transport and logistics. KOTI intends to work with the KRG Ministry of Planning to help further develop the Kurdistan region.

During his visit to Kurdistan, the Ambassador met with the KRG Prime Minister, Nechirvan Barazani and attended the Second annual Sulaimani Forum hosted by the American University of Iraq – Sulaimani on the 4th and 5th of March.

Ambassador Heyon Meyong Kim will be returning to Seoul to resume work at the Korean Foreign Ministry in order to prepare for his next posting as the Consul General in Los Angeles, USA later this year.

Lisbon, Portugal (KRG.org) – The Head of the KRG Department of Foreign Relations, Minister Falah Mustafa, led the KRG's first ministerial delegation to Portugal, meeting with a number of key officials from the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Parliament and inaugurating the Business Association of Portugal - Kurdistan / Iraq. The KRG Representative to Spain, Mr. Daban Shadala, accompanied Minister Mustafa on the visit.

At the Foreign Ministry the KRG delegation was received by the Secretary of of State of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Luis Campos Ferreira, the Secretary of State of Portuguese Communities Abroad, Jose Cesario and the Director General for Foreign Policy, Rui Macieira. Mr. Ferreira welcomed the delegation and said, "We have a number of issues of common interest to discuss, so I am thankful for your visit to Portugal and to our Ministry." He added, "It is very important to have Portuguese companies working in Kurdistan, which is peaceful and welcoming."

Minister Mustafa expressed his pleasure in conducting the KRG's first high-level official visit to Portugal. He said, "We believe both Portugal and Kurdistan can benefit from a stronger relationship. The KRG would warmly welcome Portuguese diplomatic representation in Kurdistan, and we very much hope you consider this possibility in the near future." For his part, Mr. Ferreira urged the KRG to establish a representation office in Lisbon.

Mr. Sergio Sousa Pinto, Chairman of the Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, also received the delegation. Minister Mustafa emphasized the importance of international relations for the KRG, explaining, "We want to expand our relations with the international community, particularly in order to benefit from the technology and expertise of other countries. Based on this, we can build a mutually beneficial relationship."

Chairman Pinto welcomed the message, asking a number of questions regarding the progress and opportunities in Kurdistan. The KRG delegation urged the Portuguese Parliament to recognize the crimes committed against the Kurds by the former regime as genocide, and suggested a parliamentary fact-finding visit to Kurdistan to explore greater cooperation. Minister Mustafa also held a meeting with parliamentarians from several parties, promoting the establishment of an all-party parliamentary group to support Portugal's relationship with Kurdistan.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted a signing ceremony to officially inaugurate the newly established Business Association of Portugal - Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The Association is designed to enhance future cooperation, build commercial and economic bridges, and promote partnerships among private sector entities in Portugal and Kurdistan. The ceremony was attended by Minister Mustafa, Mr. Cesario, Mr. Shadala, and a representative from the Iraqi Embassy in Lisbon.