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Stronger Kurdistan


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US interested in developing relations with KRG in energy sector: PM Barzani

3 hours ago
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Kurdish Prime Minister Masrour Barzani speaks to the press at the Munich Security Conference, February 16 2020. Photo via RudaW

Masrour Barzani, Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), said on Sunday that the US is interested in developing relations with the Kurdistan Region within the energy sector. PM Barzani indicated that his discussions with US Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference yielded positive developments regarding energy in the Kurdistan Region, and said that technical talks with the US will follow in the future. 

Barzani also met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, and hinted that the rights of the people of northern Syria (Rojava) should be secured within the framework of a new Syria.  

The Kurdish premier said he warned conference participants about the growing threat the Islamic State (ISIS) poses to the security of the region and to the world as a whole as they continue to reorganize their ranks in Iraq and Syria. 

 

Mr. Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region Masrour Barzani, you held a string of meetings in Munich. What did you discuss with the US energy minister? What promises did he make to you?

We have held very good meetings at this conference with many sides who took part in the Munich conference, including the US Secretary of Energy [Brouillette]. We spoke about the support and assistance of the US to the Kurdistan Region in the sector of energy. They were very much interested in developing relations in [this] sector with the Kurdistan Region.

Did you strike any deals with them?

We spoke a lot about this sector. What is left is that we are set to continue the technical talks.

In the meetings you held, it seemed that these countries value the position of the Kurdistan Region. What was the opinion of these countries regarding the situation in Iraq?

The situation of the region as a whole matters to them. And they consider the position of the Kurdistan Region, as a [major actor in the region], as important in the Middle East. The exchange of ideas and feedback we shared with them were about to what extent we can play an effective role to normalize the situation.

Mr. Masrour Barzani, you met with a number of Iraqi leaders too. The new Iraqi government is going to be formed soon. Did you talk about the mechanism of the formation of the government with them? 

The results have remained unclear as of yet. They have said that Mr. Mohammed Tawfik al-Allawi is planning to form his government. What matters to us as the [Kurdistan Regional Government] is that the status of the Kurdistan Region, as a federal region within the government of Iraq, should have its constitutional entitlements defined and respected. Because we have a quite different status [from the rest of Iraq]. We have requested that representatives of the Kurdistan Region in the Iraqi government must be appointed by the constitutional institutions of the Kurdistan Region.

In your talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, you talked about the situation of Rojava, northeastern Syria. What did you specifically say?

We asked for the rights of Kurdistan people in Western Kurdistan [to] be taken into account. And within the framework of any developments in the foreseeable future, Kurdish rights must be [considered].

What did you discuss with Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif?

We are neighbors. We shared our common concerns regarding the deterioration of the security of the region in general. We advocated both sides should respect each other based on principles that we deem important. 

Concerning the Islamic State's resurgence, what promises did you receive from the US and Russia?

We are mindful that Daesh is still a major threat in the region. It requires collective support from all the sides, including the US and the Coalition partners, to stand against it. We believe Daesh is a serious threat. They are trying to reorganize themselves, posing threats not just to Iraq, but to the entire region and the world. Therefore, military support and exchange of intelligence knowledge should continue. We have also urged drying up the main sources which Daesh uses to reorganize itself. It can only be done through assistance from the people of the region and the improvement of the living conditions [and provision of stability] for the [local] populations.
 

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Masrour Barzani arrives in Italy to meet Italian PM, Pope Francis

2 hours ago
 
 

Masrour Barzani arrives in Italy to meet Italian PM, Pope Francis
Prime Minister of Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Masrour Barzani. (Photo: KRG)
 

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Following the conclusion of meetings at the 2020 Munich Security Conference, Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and an accompanying delegation arrived in Rome for a two-day visit to the Italian capital and Vatican City.

The top Kurdish official is expected to meet with senior members of the Italian government and Pope Francis.

Among the Italian diplomats he is set to meet, Prime Minister Barzani will sit with Italian counterpart Giuseppe Conte to discuss “ongoing bilateral cooperation in the fight against global terrorism,” a statement on the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) website read.

The two are also going “to consider ways of encouraging Italian companies to seize the business opportunities available in Kurdistan by investing in the region.”

“At the Vatican, Prime Minister Barzani will meet His Holiness Pope Francis and Secretary of State Pietro Parolin to discuss the Kurdistan Region’s commitment to countering religious persecution and promoting interreligious dialogue,” the statement added.

The Kurdish prime minister expressed his delight at the opportunity to meet the Pope “to discuss the importance of religious coexistence, which can be a valuable antidote to extremism.”

“I am proud that the KRG has made such a major contribution through our long-standing efforts to promote interreligious dialogue while creating a haven of tolerance in the Kurdistan Region for people of all faiths.”

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PM Masrour Barzani concludes meetings with world leaders at Munich Security Conference

2 hours ago
 
 

PM Masrour Barzani concludes meetings with world leaders at Munich Security Conference
Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and his accompanying delegation at the Munich Security Conference, Feb. 16, 2020. (Photo: KRG)
 

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani concluded his meetings with world leaders at the 2020 Munich Security Conference, where he discussed security and stability in Iraq and the Middle East, in general. 

During his meeting with Mark Sedwill, the National Security Adviser of Britain, Prime Minister Barzani and Sedwill both stressed the need to further strengthen the relationship between the Kurdistan Region and Britain, a statement from the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) website read.

They also highlighted additional coordination in the fight against the so-called Islamic State, which they agreed still poses a serious threat to Iraq and the region.

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Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani meets with Mark Sedwill, the National Security Adviser of Britain, Munich, Germany, Feb. 16, 2020. (Photo: KRG)
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Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani meets with Germany’s Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office, Niels Annen, Munich, Germany, Feb. 16, 2020. (Photo: KRG)

Barzani also met with Germany’s Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office, Niels Annen, to discuss the latest developments in Iraq and the region, as both sides agreed to further strengthen bilateral ties between the Kurdistan Region and Germany.

Prime Minister Barzani “acknowledged Germany’s role as part of the Global Coalition against ISIS and stressed the importance of continued German support for the Peshmerga and Iraqi security forces, as they tackle the growing terrorist threat,” a KRG statement said.

“Minister Annen recognized the stability and prosperity in the Kurdistan Region, calling it a role model of governance in Iraq and the region.”

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Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani meets with the Foreign Minister of Turkey, Mevlut Cavusoglu, Munich, Germany, Feb. 16, 2020. (Photo: KRG)

During the third and last day of the Munich Security Conference, Prime Minister Barzani met with the Foreign Minister of Turkey, Mevlut Cavusoglu.

“Prime Minister Barzani and Minister Cavusoglu reviewed the latest developments in Iraq and the wider region. They discussed ways of expanding bilateral relations between the Kurdistan Region and Turkey, with a particular focus on improving trade links,” a KRG statement read.

“Both sides agreed to coordinate their efforts to de-escalate tensions in Iraq and across the region.”

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Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani meets with the Foreign Minister of Iran, Mohammad Javad Zarif, Munich, Germany, Feb. 16, 2020. (Photo: KRG)

Barzani also discussed the latest developments in Iraq and the area with the Foreign Minister of Iran, Mohammad Javad Zarif, at the Security Conference.

Both Barzani and Zarif “agreed that they have an obligation of maintaining good neighborly relations and mutual respect,” as they also shed light on “common recognition of regional security challenges.”

“Prime Minister Barzani and Minister Zarif reiterated their support to de-escalate tensions in Iraq and further contribute toward stability in the region.”

The Kurdish leader led the KRG delegation at the Security Conference in Munich, and held various meetings to discuss a “range of important issues…including the urgent requirements to address the growing ISIS threat and improve regional stability,” while also pointing out “the growing investment opportunities available to foreign businesses within the Kurdistan Region.” 

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A member of Parliamentary Energy responds to the statements of an American minister regarding the quantities of Kurdistan's oil exports

 

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Politics 02/20/17 23:06 905 Editor: mst    


Baghdad today - Baghdad  

 

Member of the Parliament’s Oil and Energy Committee, Representative Hashem Mawla, responded Monday to the statement of the US Secretary of Energy, Dan Brolett, regarding the superiority of the Kurdistan region over Libya in the oil export process.

Hashem Mawla said, in an interview with (Baghdad Today): "I do not think that the Kurdistan region has the possibility to export more than two million barrels of oil per day, and if that number is issued, it will violate OPEC, to which Iraq is linked." 

Molly added, "Iraq is associated with OPEC in the process of exporting oil, and it needs the approval of the organization if the export rate rises," noting that "what the US Energy Secretary mentioned is incorrect, and it is slave that the region exports oil without OPEC knowing." 

Last Friday, during his meeting with the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region, Masroor Barzani, the US Energy Secretary, Dan Brolett, praised the region's capabilities in exporting oil and its superiority over Libya in export rates, describing this success as a "miracle."

Before meeting with Masroor Barzani on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, Prolett told a group of journalists that "although Kurdistan is landlocked (surrounded by land from all sides) but it has a great capacity to produce oil, and on this occasion we thank the Prime Minister of the region." 

"We celebrate the miracle, your miracle," Brolett added, "and for those who do not know about any miracle I am talking about, the Kurds are surrounded by land while they are at the heart of this region, but they export more oil than Libya."

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KRG opens new Iraqi passport office for Kurdistan Region residents 

23 hours ago
 
 

KRG opens new Iraqi passport office for Kurdistan Region residents
Kurdistan Region Interior Minister Rebar Ahmed speaks at the opening of a new passport directorate in the small Kurdish city of Koya, located east of Erbil, Feb. 17, 2020. (Photo: Kurdistan 24)
 

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), in cooperation with the Iraqi federal government, has opened a new passport directorate in the small city of Koya, located in Erbil province. This adds to other such offices recently established that are meant to improve public access for those originally from the Kurdistan Region to Iraqi documents crucial for international travel.

On Monday, officials from the Baghdad and Erbil governments held a press conference at the new building after an inauguration ceremony for the tenth new such office aimed at facilitating passports being issued to Kurdistan Region residents from the area by the federal government. 

KRG Interior Minister Rebar Ahmed affirmed during the briefing that the move had come as part of a directive by Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and that another office would be opened in the small city of Chamchamal in the near future, but did not specify a projected date.

He reiterated that such efforts are part of reducing costs, mitigating travel risks, and increasing access to civilians who want to do the necessary legal work to attain the official document. 

Erbil Province Governor Firsat Sofi, Police Chief Diler Najar, and representatives of the Iraqi Interior Ministry also attended the opening event.

In December, the ministry opened a similar office in Duhok province’s northern city of Zakho.

Read More: Passport directorate officially opens in Kurdistan Region’s Zakho

Counting the Koya office, the number of new directorates opened has so far reached ten, four of which are in Erbil province, another four in Sulaimani, and the previously opened one in Duhok.

 

 

 

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Peshmerga Delegation to Visit Baghdad on Monday

 
 BasNews   23/02/2020 - 23:43  Published inKurdistan
Peshmerga Delegation to Visit Baghdad on Monday
 

ERBIL - A high-level delegation from the Kurdistan Region's Ministry of Peshmerga will visit Baghdad on Monday.

According to the information BasNews has learned from the ministry, Peshmerga Minister Shorish Ismail will head the delegation.

They will meet with officials from Iraq's Ministry of Defense for talks on closer cooperations between the Peshmerga and national forces in the disputed areas.

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The Peshmerga Minister visits Baghdad tomorrow (today) to discuss two important matters

 

The Peshmerga Minister visits Baghdad tomorrow to discuss two important matters
 
 
23rd February, 2020
 
 
A prominent delegation from the Ministry of Peshmerga in the Kurdistan Regional Government visited the capital Baghdad, headed by Minister of Peshmerga Shorsh Ismail, tomorrow (today) and meeting with Minister of Defense Najah Al-Shammari and senior officials in the ministry.
 
The Peshmerga Ministry said in a statement today, Sunday, that "a delegation from the Peshmerga Ministry will visit Baghdad tomorrow Monday and meet with the Federal Minister of Defense." Miran Abu Bakr, media secretary of the Peshmerga Minister, said in a press statement, "The meeting will discuss the conditions regarding the salaries and financial dues of the Peshmerga for the past year and the current year that were mentioned in the public budget, as well as filling the security vacuum in the disputed areas, especially after the events of the village of Jakhmakh."

 

 
In Kirkuk last week, the impact of an ISIS gang attack and victims of the Kurdish village. He said Abu Bakr, "The activation of secondary committees and the main between the Ministry of Peshmerga and the Iraqi defense will be the focus of another of the talks, and that there will be a technical and financial with Khalid Huani team and the Minister of relations between the province and Baghdad will be accompanied by Minister of Peshmerga".
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