Sulaimaniya, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, (KRP.org / KRG.org) – Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani yesterday visited President Jalal Talabani at his residence in Sulaimaniya. He was accompanied by Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani.

President Barzani expressed his joy for President Talabani's return and wished him a prompt recovery.

Earlier, Prime Minister Barzani issued a statement congratulating the people of Kurdistan on the occasion of the return of President Talabani. He described the political role President Talabani has played in Kurdistan and Iraq as historic.

The Prime Minister said, "Along with President Masoud Barzani, he played an important role in securing the democratic experience for the people of Kurdistan, ensuring political pluralism and the establishment of parliamentary life in Kurdistan. His absence in Kurdistan and Iraq, due to his illness, has been keenly felt in the political life and governance of Iraq.”

He added, "On behalf of the Kurdistan Regional Government and in my name, I warmly welcome him back, and I congratulate all the people of Kurdistan and wish him a prompt recovery and longevity. We are confident that his return will bring good and joy to the people of Kurdistan."

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani returned to the Kurdistan Region last Saturday after having received medical treatment in Germany following a stroke he suffered in late 2012.

Erbil, Kurdistan (KRG.org) – Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani earlier this week met with the Director General of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), Ambassador William Lacy Swing, and his accompanying delegation.

The deteriorating security situation in Mosul and in other areas of Iraq, which has led to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people to the Kurdistan Region, was discussed in the meeting, as well as the efforts of the KRG to provide the basic needs and improve the living conditions of the internally displaced people.

The IOM Director General expressed his organisation’s gratitude to the Prime Minister and to the people of Kurdistan, praising the KRG’s efforts in helping the displaced people and providing them with shelter and security.

He also highlighted the fact that the Kurdistan Region had already opened its doors to Syrian refugees and Iraq’s internally displaced people and treated them suitably. He explained that IOM is preparing a detailed report about the life and the welfare of displaced people and their needs, and it will be raised in the near future with members of the international community in Geneva. The Director General added that his organisation highly values the efforts of the KRG, which has been able to assist victims in a humanitarian manner during an extremely difficult situation.

Prime Minister Barzani expressed his gratitude for the work of the International Organisation for Migration. He pointed out that the KRG, its institutions, and even the people of the Kurdistan Region have given their utmost support and assistance to refugees and the internally displaced. However, this is a heavy burden, and the Kurdistan Region alone cannot accommodate all the needs of the refugees and the displaced people, especially because their numbers are growing daily.

The Prime Minister emphasised the need for the Iraqi Government and the international community to assume responsibility for the refugees and displaced people and to provide support and assistance. He said, “Despite our financial constraints caused by Baghdad’s decision to cut our budget and salaries, we will shoulder this humanitarian responsibility and offer assistance to these displaced people to the extent that our capacity allows.”
 
Prime Minister Barzani urged the IOM to encourage the Iraqi Government and the international community to earnestly assume responsibility for this issue and to establish an appropriate mechanism to tackle any possible developments, including an increase in the numbers of refugees and internally displaced.

Erbil, Kurdistan (KRG.org) - In a meeting held yesterday with the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Iraq, Nickolay Mladenov, KRG Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani reiterated that the Kurdistan Region is committed to all international obligations related to Iraq. This includes Iraq's commitment to compensate countries through oil revenues, as per relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.

The latest developments in relations between Erbil and Baghdad, energy issues, efforts to finalize the KRG's eighth cabinet, and the Iraq government formation process were topics of discussion in the meeting. The Prime Minister emphasized that the KRG oil policy is fully in line with the federal constitution of Iraq.

The UN Special Representative stressed the need for genuine effort to form a new Iraqi government as soon as possible through dialogue and agreement among the country's various political parties. He also offered his congratulations to the people of the Kurdistan Region for the agreement that has led to the formation of the KRG's eighth cabinet.

Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq (KRG.org) – On Thursday 13 March Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani formally designated Halabja as the fourth province of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. At the press conference following the ratification Prime Minister Barzani said, "I hope the actions of the KRG today have met the desires and the aspirations of the dear people of Halabja, and I hope that we have been able to bring some joy to the citizens of Halabja a few days before the anniversary of the horrible attack on the city 26 years ago."

During a meeting with a number of KRG officials and the visiting delegation from Halabja, Prime Minister Barzani said that Halabja is a symbol for all of the oppression and suffering endured by the people of Kurdistan. He added that the decision to legally declare it a province was more than a gesture of kindness but a decision of genuine importance to the KRG. The Prime Minister highlighted that the decision had already been agreed by the Kurdistan Region Parliament in 1999. Prime Minister Barzani also noted that the KRG addressed this issue and implemented this decision in coordination with the Federal Government of Iraq so that Halabja can benefit from the same privileges enjoyed by all Iraqi provinces.

The delegation of representatives from the province of Halabja included the mayor, representatives of administrative institutions, the Organisation of the Victims of Halabja, Islamic scholars, and members from civil society organisations and different political parties. The delegation welcomed the decision by the KRG. Members of the delegation said that the people of Halabja had been eagerly awaiting this decision.

Following the meeting and official signature by the Prime Minister, participants attended a press conference where the executive decree was read aloud. Speaking to the press, Prime Minister Barzani congratulated the people of Halabja and expressed his pleasure that all political parties in the Kurdistan Region stood with a united voice in supporting this decision.

Slemani, Kurdistan - (KRG.org) – Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani spoke at the launch of the Grand Millennium Hotel in Slemani, lauding the business community of the city and urging further investment and private sector development.

The Prime Minister said, "This is another success story in the process of developing and rebuilding the Kurdistan Region, and the private sector has played a pivotal role in this regard from the beginning." He added, "The KRG has a clear vision for the tourism sector, and tourism can be an important aspect of our economy."

Mr. Faruk Mustafa, the owner of Faruk Company responsible for the project, explained the importance of this development for the city of Slemani. Mr. Mustafa referred to the importance of forward-looking KRG policy that has promoted private sector activity and supported businesses in various sectors.

The hotel is 39 stories tall and contains 253 guest rooms, shopping halls, ballrooms, two restaurants, and a cinema. The cost of the project was reported to cost just over a quarter-billion dollars.

Erbil, Kurdistan (KRG.org) – Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani welcomed the British international bank Standard Chartered to Kurdistan today at the inauguration ceremony of its Erbil branch.

Mr. Barzani outlined the need for an improved banking sector in Kurdistan. He said, “I believe the time has come for us to seriously examine international financial practices and carefully consider how modern banking can help families and businesses to manage their wealth.” He added, “I have no doubt that the presence of Standard Chartered will help us move forward in this regard.”

Mr. V. Shankar, the Standard Chartered CEO for Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Americas, said the company comes “with glitter in our eyes” and stated his optimism for the bank’s activity in the Region.

Britain’s Consul General, Mr. Hugh Evans, underlined the United Kingdom’s confidence in its mutually beneficial relationship with the Kurdistan Region, applauding KRG policy and supporting the decision by Standard Chartered to commence operations in Kurdistan. Mr. Gavin Wishart, CEO of Standard Chartered in Iraq, also spoke on behalf of the bank.

Salahaddin, Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRP.org) – As part of his efforts to help expedite the process of KRG government formation, Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani today met with Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) Deputy Leader Nechirvan Barzani and members of the KDP’s political bureau.

In today’s meeting, all sides emphasized that the new government should be formed as soon as possible.

The President also met with senior members of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) on Saturday and with leaders of Gorran Movement last week.

Erbil, Kurdistan – Iraq (KRG.org) – Canada’s Minister of State (Foreign Affairs and Consular Services), Lynne Yelich, along with Canadian Ambassador to Iraq, Bruno Saccomani, and an accompanying delegation visited the Kurdistan Region on Wednesday 12 February for a two day visit which culminated in the official opening of Canada’s Trade Representation Office in Erbil.

This was the first visit to the region by a Canadian Minister and during her visit she met with the President of the Kurdistan Region, Masoud Barzani, the KRG Prime Minister, Nechirvan Barzani, the Head of Department of Foreign Relations, Minister Falah Mustafa, the Minister of Natural Resources, Ashti Hawrami, the KRG Minister of Planning, Ali Sindi  and the Minister of Construction and Housing who is also the Acting Chairman of Board of Investment, Kamaran Ahmed.

A trade delegation comprised of a number of Canadian companies accompanied the official delegation on their visit and participated alongside their Kurdish counterpart in the first Economic Forum between Kurdistan and Canada. At the end of the Forum, an official reception took place to officially announce the opening of the Canadian Trade Representation with both Minister Yelich and Minister Mustafa speaking about the importance of this step in terms of establishing bilateral relations which benefit both sides.

During the meeting with President Barzani, both sides discussed a number of current issues facing Iraq and the Middle East, including the current situation in Syria and the impact of the humanitarian crisis on Kurdistan given the influx of refugees. In addition to discussing oil and gas, education and other areas of cooperation, the President highlighted the importance on the need for cooperation in the agriculture sector.

The Canadian delegation also met with KRG Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani, where Minister Yelich expressed her pleasure at visiting Kurdistan and said that she was impressed with the level of progress taking place. She expressed her hope that the opening of the Trade Representation would result in the expansion of bilateral relations across many sectors.

During her visit, Minister Yelich visited the Department of Foreign Relations where the Head of the DFR, Minister Falah Mustafa welcomed them and briefed them about the opportunities that exist in the region, highlighting specific areas where Canadian expertise can be utilized. He added, ‘We want to develop a relationship which focuses on the areas of need such as agriculture, tourism, industry, education and infrastructure.’

Canadian Minister Yelich said that she was pleased to visit Kurdistan and hoped to build on the work that Canada has already started here given the number of opportunities available. She added, ‘There is so much I see in common with Canada here and what you have achieved in the last ten years is impressive.’

Also during the visit, the delegation visited the Citadel and the textile museum where the Governor of Erbil, Nawzad Hadi briefed the Minister and the delegation on its history and outlined the KRG’s activities and future plans in restoring it.

Minister Mustafa spoke after the end of the visit about the importance of Minister Yelich's visit given the federal form of governance in Canada, which Iraq and Kurdistan can learn a lot from. The separation of powers from the federal government and the provinces in Canada is important to learn from in order for Iraq to truly function as a federal state in adherence to its constitution.