Salahaddin, Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRP.org) – Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani today welcomed UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon in the capital Erbil.

In their meeting, the President and the UN Secretary General talked about the situation of Syrian refugees in Kurdistan, the conflict in Syria and preparations for the Geneva II conference, and relations between Erbil and Baghdad.

The UN Secretary General praised the security and stability and development that the Kurdistan Region enjoys and added that the Kurdistan Region has come a long way in terms of reconstruction, provision of services and construction.

Mr. Ban Ki Moon also thanked the President and the people and government of Kurdistan for taking in the Syrian refugees and said that the UN plans to increase its humanitarian assistance to the refugees in Kurdistan.

After warmly welcoming the UN Secretary General, President Barzani said the Kurdistan Region opened its doors to Syrian refugees at the beginning of the conflict. He said providing refuge to the Syrian refugees is both a humanitarian and national obligation for our people. Due to large numbers of refugees, the Kurdistan Region is unable to adequately assist the refugees, said the President. He asked the UN and the international community to help the KRG meet its duty to help the refugees.

On the planned Geneva II conference, President Barzani expressed his hope that it leads to a positive outcome, where the refugees could return to their homes and there would be an end to the suffering of the Syrian people.

On relations between Erbil and Baghdad, the President reiterated that Iraq is government by a constitution which defines the both the relationship between the Region and Baghdad, and the rights and responsibilities of each side. “We are committed to this constitution and commitment to this constitution is a prerequisite for Iraq to remain one country. We ask all sides to be committed to this constitution, and it is our policy to use dialogue to resolve our problems based on the constitution,” said the President.

President Barzani reaffirmed KRG’s full support and cooperation with the UN and its agencies based in Kurdistan.

Salahaddin, Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRP.org) - U.S. Vice President Joe Biden spoke with the Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani on Thursday. The two discussed the latest political and security developments in Iraq and expressed their support for the efforts by both Iraqi leaders and the local tribal leaders to fight the terrorist groups in the Anbar province. They also both emphasized the need for dialogue to address Iraq’s political challenges.

During the telephone conversation, the two also discussed relations between Erbil and Baghdad and agreed that the current exchange of visits and the talks to continue between the two sides with the aim of reaching understanding on the issue of oil exports from the Kurdistan Region.

President Barzani expressed his readiness to work with other Iraqi leaders to diffuse the current crisis. The U.S. Vice President emphasized the strong U.S. support for a unified and federal Iraq as defined under the Iraqi constitution.

Salahaddin, Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRP.org) – On the occasion of Christmas, Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani sent his best wishes to Christians in Kurdistan, in Iraq, and in the world.

In his message the President said, “Now that Iraq is going through the phase of rebuilding, one of the responsibilities is to protect co-existence among the various religious and ethnic communities in the country, and this tradition should not be compromised.”

“Unfortunately, in the past few years, Christians in Iraq have become targets of violence, but we should be proud that Kurdistan has always been a refuge and a home for all different communities and it is the responsibility of all of us to preserve this co-existence.”

 Salahaddin, Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRP.org) – Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani today chaired a meeting of the Syrian Kurdish parties in an effort to help the Kurdish groups in Syria to unify their positions in the run-up to the planned Geneva II conference on Syria.

Representatives from both Democratic Union Party (PYD) and the Kurdish National Council attended today’s meeting in Salahaddin. The two parties agreed to hold a bilateral meeting on Tuesday, 17 December 2013, with the aim of unifying their position.

 Salahaddin, Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRP.org) – Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani today met with United States Ambassador to Iraq Mr. Steven Beecroft in Salahaddin.

The President and the US Ambassador discussed the situation of Syrian refugees in Kurdistan, which now number well over 200,000. Ambassador Beecroft thanked the KRG for all that it has done to help the refugees and expressed US government’s appreciation for the strains that this has put on the resources in the Kurdistan Region. He added that he would work with others in Baghdad to encourage the Iraqi government to also contribute to this relief effort.

The two also talked about preparations for the planned Geneva II conference on Syria and the role and participation of the Syrian Kurdish parties in that conference.

The US ambassador also commended KRG's decision to undertake a thorough investigation into the murder of the Kurdish journalist Kawa Garmiyani, killed at his home earlier this month in the town of Kalar.  The President said his murder saddened him and the KRG is doing all it can to bring the perpetrators to face justice.  

President Barzani and Ambassador Beecroft also discussed recent positive signs that Baghdad and Erbil are considering to engage in talks to reach an agreement on energy.

The President of Kurdistan Region Massoud Barzani and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan are due to make a visit to Turkey southeastern province of Diyarbakir next Saturday.