Erbil, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, (Krp.org)- President Masoud Barzani attended the 89th birthday ceremony of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The ceremony was arranged by the Consulate General of the United Kingdom and was attended by a number of diplomats and KRG officials.

During the ceremony President Barzani reiterated his gratitude for the role of the United Kingdom in the current war against the terrorists of the Islamic State and wished a happy and meaningful birthday to her Majesty.

Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani participated in the opening session of the World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa in the Dead Sea today and later held meetings with a number of leaders from the region.

The President met with Egyptian President Abdulfatah Al-Sisi, King Abdullah of Jordan, and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to discuss political and security developments in the region, in particular confronting the threat of ISIS terrorism. 

The Egyptian President praised the leadership of President Barzani and the bravery of the peshmerga forces in fighting ISIS and expressed his country’s support to the Kurdistan Region. 

President Barzani also met with Iraq’s Speaker of the Council of Representatives Salim Al-Jibori and Iraq’s Deputy Prime Minister Baha Al-Araji to discuss the latest political and security challenges facing Iraq and the fight against ISIS terrorists. They also discussed relations between Erbil and Baghdad and the need to strengthen ties between the two sides. 

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.

Erbil, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, (Krp.org)- President Masoud Barzani welcomed a delegation from the Federal Government of Iraq headed by Prime Minister Haydar al-Abadi. The delegation included a number of military and security officials as well as immigration and other Iraqi officials. President Barzani and Prime Minister al-Abadi discussed the latest military advanced by the Peshmerga forces and commended their achievements and also the Iraqi armed forces and the latest advances against the terrorists of the Islamic State in the province of Tikrit. The two sides also spoke of the upcoming operations especially regarding the liberation of Mosul from the hands of the terrorists of the Islamic State.

Prime Minister al-Abadi stated that the mutual interests of the Kurdistan Region and the Federal Government in Baghdad are far more significant than any obstacles. On his part, President Barzani stated that the cooperation between Erbil and Baghdad will continue and that the relations between the two will only be strengthened.

Prior to the completion of the Prime Minister's visit to Erbil, President Barzani and Prime Minister al-Abadi visited the refugee camp of Bahrke in the outskirts of Erbil to see the current situation of IDPs from the Nineveh plains and other areas that have been under the control of the terrorists of the Islamic State. President Barzani and Prime Minister al-Abadi both stated to a number of families in the camp that their main priority is liberating their areas and ridding Iraq of terrorists.

Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani today met with a visiting German government delegation in Salahaddin to discuss German military assistance to the Kurdistan Region peshmerga forces.

Heading the German delegation, German Deputy Minister of Defense Markus Grübel praised the leadership of President Barzani and the role of the Kurdistan peshmerga forces in taking the fight to the ISIS terrorist. He said the peshmerga are making sacrifices and fighting the ISIS terrorists on behalf of the whole world; he pledged continued German support for the KRG and the peshmerga forces.

President Barzani thanked the people and government of Germany for their military assistance, including training of peshmerga forces. He said German military assistance has been key to many peshmerga gains against the ISIS terrorists.

Salahadin, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, (Krp.org) President Masoud Barzani strongly condemned the terrorist act by the Islamic State today in Erbil. The attack took place in the town of Ainkawa in the outskirts of Erbil. The attack resulted in deaths and injuries of a number of citizens of the Kurdistan Region. The suicide terrorist attack had aimed to affect the morale of the citizens of the Kurdistan Region, though these miserable acts only continue to strengthen the will of the people of Kurdistan and further demonstrate to the world the cowardice of these terrorists.

President Barzani expressed his condolences to the families and loved ones of those who were killed as a result of the terrorist attack and wished speedy recovery for the wounded.

Salahadin, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, (Krp.org), President Masoud Barzani held a meeting with a delegation from the Czech Republic today. The delegation was attended by members of the diplomatic mission of the Czech Republic in the Kurdistan Region and was headed by Mr. Jan Fulik, the Special Representative of the President of the Czech Republic.

During the meeting Mr. Fulik and President Barzani discussed the current political and security developments in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and the greater Middle East region. President Barzani expressed optimism for a brighter future for the Kurdistan Region, adding that the fight against the terrorists of the Islamic State are being defeated by the Peshmega forces in a number of fronts.

On his part Mr. Fulik expressed his support on behalf of the government of the Czech Republic to the Peshmerga forces. Mr. Fulik also delivered an invitation for President Barzani to visit the Czech Republic and explore further avenues of cooperation between the two sides.

President Barzani expressed his gratitude for the support of the Czech Republic and accepted the invitation to visit the country at mutually convenient time.