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Erbil, Kurdistan Region – Iraq (dfr.krg.org) – In the presence of Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani, China’s Vice Foreign Minister, Zhang Ming, officially opened China’s consulate general in Erbil today.
Prime Minister Barzani in his speech applauded the decision of the government of China to open its consulate general in Erbil. He said, “Opening the consulate general of the People’s Republic of China in the Kurdistan Region is the first step towards building mutually beneficial relations. This will provide a great opportunity for both sides to explore areas of potential cooperation. The opening of this office will help us to benefit from the rich and successful experience of China in all fields.”
Prime Minister Barzani also thanked China for providing humanitarian assistance to the Kurdistan Region and hoped that the opening of this office would result in further humanitarian aid as well as military assistance in the fight against terrorism.
Vice Foreign Minister Ming in his speech thanked the KRG for the assistance provided in the opening of China’s consulate general. He said, “The opening of our consulate general in Erbil expresses our strong support for the political process in Iraq. It is a sign of our strong desire to further deepen and strengthen our bilateral ties with Iraq and the Kurdistan Region in various fields.”
Mr Ming commended the role of the KRG in preserving the stability of the region and voiced the willingness of the Chinese government to contribute to this stability and to provide further humanitarian assistance.
Commenting on the opening ceremony of China’s consulate general in Erbil, Minister Falah Mustafa stated, “This is the beginning of a new chapter in an important, mutually beneficial relationship that will benefit the people and the government of both China and the Kurdistan Region.”
Mr. Banglin, China’s Consul General, said that China is eager to develop its relations with Kurdistan Region and take part in this development, particularly in the infrastructural, economic, commercial and cultural domains.
The opening ceremony was attended by senior KRG officials, China’s ambassador to Iraq, members of the diplomatic community, as well as representative of Chinese companies in the Kurdistan Region.
In his annual Christmas and New Year message, Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani reassured the Christian community in Iraq that the KRG would continue to provide protection and shelter to them and other communities fleeing the barbaric and terrorist group ISIS.
“I would like to emphasize that the Christian community is a key component of this country and I understand their pains and suffering. I reassure them that there is no place for terrorism, violence and barbarity; we have all been witnessing how the brave peshmerga have inflicted heavy defeats on ISIS terrorists and have liberated most areas under their control,” said the President in his message.
The President also urged the Christians to stay in the country. “Christian areas still under ISIS control will also be liberated. We hope that the Christians IDPs will soon return to their homes. I urge Christians against emigration. We must live together and enrich our tradition of peaceful co-existence and tolerance.”
ANA Press: according the report of ANA press and of Kurdistan Region Office of Iraq in Iran, the representative of KRG in Iran accompanied by several people from Negara Press of Kurd came to visit Seyyed Ali Salehi, the famous Iranian poet yesterday and appreciated his spiritual support from Iraqi and Syrian Kurds.
After ISIS’s attack to Kurds of Iraq and Syria, Seyyed Ali Salehi made hid poets ‘’Till Shangal ’’, a lament for Shangal Kurds, ‘’ With Kubanian Mothers” and “Oppression of Kubanie” for Kubanian Kurds resisting in Kubani as well as “The Uncle of Rains” for Jalal Talibani public. In this visit Seyyed Ali Salehi reminding some memories of his journey to Kurdistan and his relations with Kurds of Iran Iraq astonished Kubani resistance. In addition after an analysis of how ISIS appears and some regional countries affected in forming this terrorist group praised his support from Kurds resistance against ISIS and as the representative of Kurdish people gave him one of the crafts of Kurdistan of Iraq.
President Masoud Barzani today met with US Senator John McCain in Erbil to discuss bilateral relations and the fight against ISIS terrorists.
Senator McCain said the purpose of his visit to Kurdistan is to see firsthand the situation on the ground, particularly with regard to the fighting with ISIS terrorists. He commended the role of President Barzani and the peshmerga forces for inflicting heavy defeats on the ISIS terrorists, adding that the US government and people would continue to back Kurdistan in this fight.
President Barzani thanked the United States government and people for their continued support to Kurdistan. He also thanked the United States for its support of the joint effort by the peshmerga and local fighters in the Syrian Kurdish city of Kobane to defend the city.
Within Mohammad Javad Zarif’s travel to Iraq and his visit to Iraqi and Kurdish authorities, Arman Press had an interview with Dr. Ahmad the deputy-representative of KRG of Iraq in Iran. In this interview he mentioned some aspects of the travel as followed:
About the decision made by the foreign minister of Iran to travel Kurdistan Region and its accomplishments he said Mr. Zarif’s travel is considerable for establishing a consensus between Kurdistan and the central government to confront with ISIS. Mentioning Masoud Barzani’s statements he said Iran has always supported the people, the government and Kurdistan Region of Iraq in tough days.
Dr. Ahmad concerning the charge brought by some foreign countries about Iran’s military interference in Iraq to confront ISIS said as far as he knows such a request has not been made from Iran. In addition Kurdistan region forces of Iraq especially Mr. Barzani announced that they need military weapons help and it was Iran the first country which helped. ‘As per the current situations in the region and the type of ISIS confrontation with KR of Iraq we do not need Iran to interfere’ he said.
About the option of military like Syria to confront ISIS he said basically the condition of Iraq is different with Syria. The crisis of Iraq has political root and Syria does security and military. Nevertheless Dr. Ahmad knows the root of these problems in mismanagements of Mr. Maliki. He continued to say that he does not think that military interference can solve the problem. International communities can confront this terrorist group by controlling the financial sources, commuting and their accessibilities of equipment.
In a response to question about the countries trying to fan Iranophobia he answered this roots in regional competition and the difference of countries’ benefits. Therefore he believes that if Iran can make a balance between political forces in Iraq it will be more successful. Accordance with the official policy of Iran the government preferred by Iraqi people, Kurdistan Region and any kind of agreements between both sides are supported by Iran which should be appreciated.
Nazem Dabbagh in talk with Javan Press answered the different questions about ISIS and other concerns relating to the Region. What you will read is the results of this one-hour talk.
Nazem Dabbagh believes that the peace of Iraq has never been settled since after the occupation of the country by America and his alliance it has witnessed varieties of terrorist operations. Whenever America wants he support a dictator, to topple him and substitute him for another. Nevertheless the formation of ISIS has been the result of wrong policy of the west in support of Takfiri groups in the event of Afghanistan. When Washington saw Mubarak fell and Morsi was substituted it overthrew him and substituted another for him.
In Syria changes Ba’aths took an advantage of the opportunity to shape the Iraq and Syria unification. At this time the countries like Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar decided to topple Assad within 30 days. Maliki’s mistakes also helped ISIS to grow.
About taking revenge of Maliki’s government by let him alone against ISIS Dabbagh rejected and said: Mr. Maliki put aside many Sunnis from governmental positions and this caused they tended toward ISIS. Our silence in Mosul concern was not for to cooperate with ISIS. Furthermore he rejected Kurds taking advantage of ISIS event to be independence and added: the process of the work advanced in a way that Pishmerga forces showed the most resistance against ISIS and thus stayed in the areas under dispute.
Dabbagh added: our forces advanced around Mosul and settled in the east of this town. Dabbagh mentioned that to confront with ISIS we talked with Maliki many times before Mosul fell, but he did not care. Maliki did not tend to cooperate with Pishmerga to confront with ISIS so much. He said probably ISIS policy in attack to Kurdsitan region of Iraq aimed to confront Iraq and to prevent them to be independent. Since ISIS injuries are healed in Turkey and they have even given us a bullet to fight ISIS. Iran has been the first country giving Kurdistan military help.
About the independence of Kurdistan region Dabbagh said they desire independence but presently if this happens it will be harmful to Kurds. He also said: we know ourselves Arian and Iran as our second hometown. He added: the simple presence of Ebadi cannot help to solve the problems, but the thoughts should be changed. He also said: to prevent America from entering Iraq and the Kurdish region, sustainable relations should be shaped among Iran, the Kurdish region and Shia. In addition about Israel cooperation with the Region Dabbagh said: in our foreign policy we follow the central government of Iraq and also are not willing to have a relationship with Israel since it will cause the world Muslims hate us. About the oil cargo which was sold to Israel Dabbagh said: it was done by dealer and then transferred to Israel. Furthermore he continued: Israel supports Kurds’ independence but it will cause that Iraq, Iran and Turkey begin to be our inimical.
About the region’s action to mine and export oil without Central Government’s permission Dabbagh said: although we prefer to take our budget from the central government, since our budget has been cut, we have no idea but to excavate and export oil. Concerning the anti-Ba’ath rule in Iraq Dabbagh said that Nuri Al-Maliki not only has employed Ba’aths in state positions but he also did them in the Army of Iraq. At last he has known the security condition of Iraq good for Iranian companies to return, but the critical financial conditions is an obstacle for them to continue their job.
As the groundwork for common and interactive cooperation of Iran and regional Arabian countries laid Nazem Dabbagh the representative of KRG of Iraq in Tehran believes that the key role of Iran in the Middle East has been uncovered to all more than ever.
Nazem Dabbagh in the talk with Name News reporter concerning the recent phrases of the secretary-general of Persian Gulf Cooperative Council of about the necessity to Iran’s attention by regional Arabian countries with aim of Iran’s taking part in drawing a regional strategies Said: the current conditions of the region as compared to the conditions of the Middle East in recent years have been highly different.
Now Tehran by itself has been able to change to a key and central actor in the region by playing a constructive and positive role in Syria and Iraq. Relating to this he added: the current conditions of the region demands that countries are allied to repel the common enemies. By standing against ISIS in initial days of this group’s strike to Iraq and before by supporting Bashar Assad Iran could prove that he has an undeniable presence in the region and that is why now Arabian countries specially after positive nuclear negotiations between Iran and the west are in a way looking for common cooperative work ground with Iran.
The representative KRG of Iraq in Iran said as well: when the authorities of regional Arabian countries say Iran has to catch regional countries’ trust, they have to regard this that this matter is a bilateral case and means that has the regional countries has to do so.
When Saddam ruling Iraq Ba’athists were on power. There were thoughts of Ba’ath party growing and in Syria also Salafist and Takfirist got united as a special organization; those thoughts of Ba’ath dominated this unity and caused a singularity between terrorists and Syria and called themselves Iraq and Syria Islamic Government, namely, ISIS.
The representative of Kurdistan Region of Iraq, describing the reasons and roots of the formation of ISIS terrorists group, considered the coalition against terrorists as a pretext to reenter Iraq. He believes that the USA has experienced three strategies to enter Iraq: the first experience was Persian Gulf War against Saddam, the second was getting out the Nuri Al-Maliki from Iraq and the third was to attack ISIS.
Nazem Omar Dabbagh the representative of KRG of Iraq in Iran in talk with ILNA News Agency reporter about the hidden goals of ISIS to appear said: ISIS is not something to emerge suddenly but there were factors to support ISIS and there was an atmosphere in which it could grow. In Syria and Iraq this appropriate atmosphere was prepared. Emphasizing that in the history such concerns are obviously mentioned he added as Justice and Development party coming to power in Turkey, it has formed especial closeness between this country with Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
Relating bombing ISIS positions by America he said ILNA: it is benefit to America to use air raid rather than disembarking his forces to reduce expenditures since in his view. America public reflections cannot accept their soldiers to be killed in Iraq.
Dabbagh shortened Turkey’s policy change in two cases. The first is to take advantage by letting medicines and altruism aids pass from his country and the second was that through being a member of NATO and accepting some commitments and being asked by the members to make his role against ISIS clear he had to change his policy.
In addition he believes that some countries allied with America in fight against ISIS also support this group have vague role. Stating that the coalition and allying to uproot ISIS in the region have to be serious Dabbagh said: to vanish ISIS in the region this group must be destroyed to the core like to cut the financial and human resources and stop supporting it.
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