Erbil, Kurdistan Region (dfr.gov.krd) – Minister Falah Mustafa Bakir today received Baroness Anelay of St Johns, Minister of State at the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office and UK Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict.

Baroness Anelay announced, “I came here to launch international protocol on dealing with rape and sexual violence in conflict, our aim is to help KRG in the process of providing guidelines on the investigation of sex crimes and the collection of evidence on the crimes committed against Yezidi women for future prosecutions.”

“I would like to congratulate the Kurdistan Region on the way it has welcomed such a large number of Syrian refugees and Iraqi displaced people. The Kurdistan Region has been a great example to the rest of the world and we are grateful for that,” Baroness Anelay added.

Minister Bakir stressed that international community has a duty to step forward and provide the necessary medical and psychological treatment for the Yezidi women who have been victims of ISIS’s sexual violence.

The KRG Minister encouraged Baroness Anelay to assist KRG to increase awareness about the crimes committed against Yezidi women by the ISIS terrorists through organizing conferences.

Both sides agreed to work together to find ways to bring perpetrators of sexual violence against Yezidi women to justice and to ensure that there will be no impunity for them. They expressed delight at the level of bilateral relations between Kurdistan and the UK and reiterated the commitment of their governments to continue working together.

Ms. Evar Ibrahim, member of the Kurdistan Parliament and chair of the parliamentary committee on women, briefed the delegation on the activities of the parliamentary committee in documenting crimes committed against Yezidi women by the ISIS terrorists as well as supporting the rescued Yezidi women.

The Meeting was also attended by the UK Consul General to Erbil, Angus McKee, KRG Representative to UK, Karwan Jamal, and Assistant Head of DFR, Siham mamand. 

Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani met with the commander of the United States Central Command General Lloyd Austin on Thursday in Erbil.

The President and the US general discussed the military campaign against the ISIS terrorists and preparations for liberating the city of Mosul. They also discussed the requirements and needs for the peshmerga forces. Both hailed the close cooperation between the US military and the peshmerga forces, after the recent successful joint operation to free 69 hostages from the hands of ISIS in the town of Hawija.

Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani today met with a Swedish government delegation that included the Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom and the Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist.

The meeting which took place in Erbil, focused on the efforts to defeat ISIS terrorists and the international coalition support to the peshmerga forces.

Swedish Foreign Minister Wallstrom praised the role of the peshmerga forces and the leadership of President Barzani the fight against ISIS and reiterated his country’s continued support to the Kurdistan Region in this fight. Sweden’s Defense Minister Hultqvist also commended the bravery and the sacrifices of the Peshmerga forces and said his country will continue to assist the peshmerga forces until ISIS is defeated. 

President Barzani thanked Sweden’s contributions and its steadfast support to the peshmerga forces. The President stated that defeating ISIS must be the top priority and confronting it requires the close cooperation of all sides.

Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani called Turkish President Erdogan on Monday to congratulate him on the successful conclusion of the recent general election in Turkey. The President expressed his hope the results of this election will lead to stability and progress in Turkey and in the wider region, and will bring about peace to all the communities in Turkey. 

Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani welcomed Turkish Foreign Minister Feridun Sinirlioğlu in Salahaddin today. The President and the Turkish Foreign Minister reviewed bilateral relations, the fight against ISIS terrorists, and political and security developments in the region. Both sides reaffirmed their desire to continue to consolidate their bilateral cooperation. 

Foreign Minister Sinirlioğlu said that Turkey supports stability and security in the Kurdistan Region and is ready to enhance bilateral relations with the KRG. 

President Barzani congratulated the successful general election held in Turkey and expressed his hope that the results of this election would lead to more stability and peace in Turkey. 
The President emphasized that cooperation between the KRG and Turkey as neighbors would help peace, stability, and security in the region.

Salahadin, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, (Krp.org)- President Masoud Barzani received a United Nations delegation headed by Mr. Adama Dieng, the U.N. Secretary General's special adviser on prevention of genocide. During the meeting President Barzani and Mr. Dieng reviewed the latest updates on the war against the terrorists of the Islamic State and the role of the Peshmerga forces in battling this cruel enemy which poses a threat to the entirety of the civilization. President Barzani stated that the inevitability of victory against this enemy stems from the fact that this war is existential.

Mr. Dieng expressed the United Nations' appreciation for the Kurdistan Region and their role in providing assistance to the refugees from Syria and IDPs from within Iraq. He added that the United Nations will continue to support the Kurdistan Region as it strives towards the complete annihilation of the barbaric enemy of the Kurdistan Region.

According to the university section of ISNA, Dr Hamid Reza Khorram Khorshid, the head of the University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Mentioning abilities of the university, while meeting Nazem Dabagh, the representation of KRG in Iran, believed that the ground for cooperation between that university and instructing institution of Kurdistan is widespread. Also Mohammad Ali Mohseni Bandpay, the assistant of the head in International Affairs of that university, with regard to sensitive condition of the region and current war and conflict in the Middle Eastern countries, emphasized the role of rehabilitation majors in training of human resources to make health and treatment requirements of neighbor countries, especially in the fields of rehabilitation of people with disabilities and damaged individuals.

Also, Dr Nazem Dabbagh, accompanied by educational and cultural counselor of the Kurdistan Region in that meeting, while indicating educational requirements of Kurdistan Region of Iraq and the favorable ground for cooperation available in this field in the Region, expressing satisfaction with the mutual activities of University Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences with Kurdistan region. Thereafter, they set up to provide the memorandum of understanding in which distinguish the fields of scientific, educational and cultural cooperation between them.

According to Dr Mohseni, training human specialists, holding the common scientific conference and congress with ministry of Health of Iraq, fulfilling common research projects in the field of medical science and rehabilitation in both national and international level, and visiting medical and rehabilitation center of two sides in the direction of upgrading the quality rehabilitation services in Kurdistan Region will be some cooperation zone.   

In its new number and a note under the subject ‘the creation a free zone and the maintenance of common interest’ by Nazem Dabbagh the representative of KRG in Iran, Sirvan Weekly dealt with researching the achievements of the pass of free industrial trade zone of Baneh-Marivan.

According to the Navaye Abidar, it is stated: if we take look at the relations between Iran and Kurds during the history, we see that these relations have continuously accompanied by cooperation and support, definitely this process will flourish when there are common interests and lead both sides to a common aim. Before the formation of the new Iraq, economic relations, settlement of needs and trade routes of both sides were carried out through Kurdistan, looking through the common interests, we will notice that Kurdistan has been the relational bridge between the East and the West as Hamilton Lines, Silk Road between Asia and Mediterranean Sea that Kurdistan relational way was of much important.

Trade borders and economic activities among cities, Kurdistan Region and Iran have continuously been ongoing; Longer ago cities like Tabriz, Orumiye, Mahabad, Baneh, Sanandaj and Kermanshah had economic relations with Erbil, Quisanjagh, Soleimanieh and Garmian areas of Kurdistan.  

Specifically after the formation of the new Iraq and continuously fighting of Iraq and Kurd nation, Iran always has been a military, economic and spiritual supporter. After Iraq-Kuwait-Persian Gulf war these economic activities have increased, it can be said that Kurdistan has changed to a relational bridge and transition line between Iran and Iraq.

After establishing new borders and formation of free zone in common border points between Iran and Kurdistan, it has created trust as well as another motivation for activities and qualities of lives of these areas while investing, economic activities and the level of economic relations have been developed which have led to more improvements and developments of both sides.

Improving trade and economic activities on borders and to create security and peace in these regions will lead to maintain common interest and at last will deeply influence on bilateral relations to get better. What is required to be insisted on is that the process of trade and economic activities and development should be carried out accordance with the necessary standards, legislative support and Marketing need.