Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq (cabinet.gov.krd) – Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani received Paris Mayor Ms Anne Hidalgo and her accompanying delegation.

Mayor Hidalgo expressed her desire to develop relations with the governorates of the Kurdistan Region, and cooperation in several sectors, particularly clean energy, culture, transportation and communications.

She commended the people and government of the Kurdistan Region for hosting, accommodating, and providing assistance to a large number of IDPs and refugees and the effective role of Peshmerga forces in the fight against terrorism, thus contributing to the protection of world security. She also praised the peacefull coexistence among various religious and ethnic communities in the Kurdistan Region.

Prime Minister Barzani thanked France and the international community for supporting the Kurdistan Region against ISIS. He said that without such assistance victory would not have been achieved. He stated that the current phase in the fight against terrorism requires the eradication of ISIS ideology.

He expressed his thanks to President Macron, who supported the Kurdistan Region politically after the tensions of October 2017, helping d the resumption of talks between the Kurdistan Region and Baghdad, and resolution of some issues.

He stressed that the Kurdistan Regional Government promotes the Region’s ancient tradition of tolerance and coexistence among its communities. As example, he mentioned the opening of a new Armenian Church in the Kurdistan Region last week in Erbil, helping also the displaced Armenians who took refuge in Kurdistan to pray in their own church.

As the relations with Baghdad start to improve and the economy to recove after the victory on ISIS, Prime Minister Barzani stressed that it is time now to work on development, including adoption of clean energy and environmental protection measures.