Washington DC, USA (www.dfr.gov.krd) - Falah Mustafa Bakir, Head of the Department of Foreign Relations, called on Brett McGurk of the State Department and several senators and congressmen to introduce the new Kurdistan Regional Government Representative to the United States, Bayan Sami Abdul Rahman.

The Minister is in Washington as Ms Abdul Rahman assumes her post as Representative to update Administration officials, congressmen and the media on the peshmerga's advances against ISIS (the Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham)‎ and the need for heavy weapons and humanitarian aid.

The Minister ‎and Representative met Mr McGurk, who is Deputy Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs at the State Department, on Tuesday. They thanked him for his support for Kurdistan and Iraq and for the warm welcome with which he received them.

Minister Bakir said, 'We thank the United States for stepping in to assist Kurdistan in 1991, for liberating Iraq in 2003 and then for proving to be our friends again in 2014 when your air strikes boosted the morale of our people and peshmerga against ISIS.'

Ms Abdul Rahman said she looked forward to working with Mr McGurk at this critical time in the US-Kurdistan relationship when they are fighting ISIS terrorists together.

Mr McGurk agreed that the United States and Kurdistan were in a strategic partnership that benefited both sides. He and the KRG delegation discussed the military needs of the peshmerga, who are spearheading the fight against ISIS, and the humanitarian crisis in Kurdistan and Iraq. Both sides welcomed the atmosphere of cooperation between Erbil and Baghdad.

Yesterday, the KRG delegation met senior members of congress, including Senator Bob Corker who chairs the Senate Foreign ‎Relations Committee and represents Tennessee which hosts the largest Kurdish community in the United States. They discussed the situation in Kurdistan, Iraq and Syria, what further assistance the United States could provide to the peshmerga, and the protection of Iraq's minorities who have found a safe haven in  Kurdistan.

Similar discussions were held with Congressman Devin Nunes, chairman of the Intelligence Committee, Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, Senator Tim Kaine, who sits on various committees, and Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen who heads the defence sub-committee of the Appropriations Committee.

Minister Bakir and Ms Abdul Rahman also held discussions with Congressman Gerry Connolly and separately Congressman Dana Rohrabacher who are longtime friends of Kurdistan.

Tehran- IRNA- Nazem Dabbagh the representative of KRG of Iraq in Iran on the side of 20^th of publications exhibition in Tehran deemed tribalism as generated by the west and said: Muslims must reform their religious thoughts to prevent from separation try not to be affected by unconstructive propaganda of the west. Insisting on changing the attitudes by Muslims and put aside minor differences he said: Shia, Sunni and Kurds all must defend the border of Iraq.

Appreciating I.R. of Iran’s helps and his good cooperation with Iraq in all fields including information transmission Dabbagh added: the representative of Iranian Medias in Erbil in the north of Iraq has close collaboration with Kurdistan Region.

He added: in Kurdistan of Iraq 21 newspapers are being published which all cover the invasion and the recent defeats of ISIS very well. He described the level of relations between Kurdsitan Region of Iraq and Iran as high and hopped this would go on in the future.

The KRG Department of Foreign Relations strongly condemns the horrific shootings on the Charlie Hebdo Magazine office in Paris that claimed 12 lives. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of this terrorist attack. We stand with the people of France and offer them the sympathy of the people of Kurdistan at this difficult time.

Such attacks can only strengthen our commitment to vigorously uphold and defend the values of freedom of speech and to continue the fight against terrorism. These kinds of attacks remind us of that members of the international community should stand shoulder to shoulder in the fight against terrorists who threaten the values of democracy, tolerance, and peaceful coexistence. The Kurdistan Peshmerga Forces are at the forefront of the fight against terrorism. The fight against extremism must continue relentlessly.

Once again, we express our condolences to the families of those killed in Paris.

Mizan News Agency: the representative of KRG of Iraq in Iran deemed our country’s helps greatly influential and in time and said: the majority of these helps were logistical and consultative on the behalf of Sepah Pasdaran. Nazem Dabbagh in a talk with political reporter of Mizan relating to the role of the new government of Iraq about fighting ISIS stated: the new government of Iraq regarding the useful and on time moves in recent weeks has expressed its ability to solve the problems and concerns specially fighting ISIS.

He added: undoubtedly the formation of a comprehensive and cooperative government in Iraq is beneficial to all tribal and political groups in Iraq, and this can help all groups getting involved in fighting ISIS. He continued that: the government of authorities of Turkey has not got any definite and specific definition of ISIS, and as of a yet has not taken any stable and useful position about it.

Dabbagh added that the field changes in Kurdish regions of Kubani are getting better and said: in recent days up to 100 villages around Kubani have been swept out of terrorists which represents their weaknesses and withdraw from Kubani.

Nazem Dabbagh emphasized: this is only Iraqis that can construct their fortune and thus to form a coalition to fight terrorists in Iraq without them is nonsense. He considered former government’s mismanagement of Iraq in the field of policy and security as the current situation and added: presently more than one third of Iraq is taken under ISIS’s control representing the depth of the former government inefficiency. At last the representative of Kurdistan region of Iraq in Iran again deemed Iran’s role so decisive and on time and appreciated as mentioning other countries’ helps to Iraq to fight ISIS.

The News Pavilion of ILNA in Medias Exhibition hosted Nazem Omar Dabbagh the representative of KRG of Iraq in Iran. Visiting ILNA NEWS pavilion in Media Exhibition, Nazem Dabbagh in a talk with ILNA reporter stated the most recent details of Kurdistan region and the position of Pishmerga in Kubani. Mr Dabbagh also mentioned Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani’s phrases concerning extravagances of a number of Shia as one of the causes of ISIS to be formed.

Visiting Rahe Dana News Agency pavilion in Tehran Dabbagh said: for economic problems the oil of the Kurdistan Region will get independence by 2014, and we will probably offer some helps to Iraq central government as well. Stating that Kurds have never cooperated with ISIS he mentioned: against ISIS we are alone regarding with forces and as of a yet we have been able to taken many of occupied parts back from them. The finishing reports will soon be released.   

In a message addressed to French President Francois Hollande, Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani strongly condemned the terrorist attack on the Charlie Hebdo magazine in Paris today.

“On behalf of myself and the people of Kurdistan, I would like to express my condolences to you, the French people, and the families of the victims of today’s terrorist attack, and I strongly condemn this inhumane and cowardly act,” said the President.

“In this sad day, the people of Kurdistan, who are currently fighting the most barbaric kind of terrorism, stand with the people of France. I am confident that terrorism will be defeated and humanity will prevail.”