Kurdistan's diplomatic relations

[burnsss]

Kurdishblobe
"We are ready to fully develop our relations with Kurdistan, and we are encouraging French businesses to invest in the region,"
Welcoming the French Ambassador to the Kurdistan Region on Sunday, Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani discussed the Region?s growing ties with France as well as ongoing events in the broader region.

On his first official visit to Kurdistan since the arrival of the new French Consul General, Mr Alain Guépratte, Ambassador Denis Gauer announced the opening of a new visa section in France?s Erbil Consulate General by the end of the year.

?We are ready to fully develop our relations with Kurdistan, and we are encouraging French businesses to invest in the region,? the Ambassador said, emphasising that the new services would support these efforts, allowing residents and visitors in Kurdistan to receive French visas by applying directly to the Consulate.

The Prime Minister and Ambassador spoke at length about the Syrian crisis and the efforts that the government and people of the Kurdistan Region are making to address the needs of the more than 30,000 refugees who have already found shelter in the Region.

?We are doing everything we can to ensure that these people are not only provided food and shelter, but that they are also given real opportunities to continue their lives and their education here,? the Prime Minister said.

With hundreds of additional refugees arriving every day and no support coming from Baghdad, the $10 million that the KRG has allocated to address this issue will not last long. Prime Minister Barzani encouraged the Ambassador to convey the message back to Paris that greater international attention needs to be paid to this crisis both to end the fighting and to provide for the needs of those who have been victimized by it.

As part of his trip to the Region, the French Ambassador made a visit to the Domiz refugee camp in Duhok on Monday to see the efforts that are being made and assess the needs that continue to grow.

In addition to basic services, the KRG is working to ensure that education is provided to school-age children and that university opportunities are available for older students. The KRG has extended school enrollment deadlines and is providing funding and staff for classrooms being built at the site of the Domiz camp. The KRG is also issuing residency permits to give the refugees a chance to work and travel throughout the Region.

The Head of the KRG Department of Foreign Relations, Minister Falah Mustafa, also hosted Ambassador Gauer in a private meeting earlier in his visit and joined him in the meeting with Prime Minister Barzani and as well.

The Ambassador has also met with other senior KRG officials while in the Region, and he will visit Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani tomorrow before concluding his trip. He has been accompanied by the French Consul General in Erbil and a delegation from the French Embassy throughout his stay in Kurdistan.

[alan131210]

KURDIU (Arbil) : U.S. consulate in Arbil open an exhibition of U.S. universities for students wishing to study in America.

In the exhibition they explain how to study at U.S. universities, and (Stephen J.) U.S. consul in Arbil, said that "The citizens in Kurdistan can get a visa in Arbil.

[alan131210]

Legal Committee meets German delegation to support international laws



The delegation explained the objectives of their visit, which is to offer support to the Kurdistan Parliament Legislation Committee with regard to the implementation of international laws. They discussed Iraq Law No. 45 (1980), the Enforcement of Execution Law, which regulates the enforcement of foreign judicial awards. The law needs updating or new legislation in the Kurdistan Region is needed that reflects the current situation. They made several suggestions to add to the proposed legal project.

The Deputy Chairman of the Parliamentary Legislation Committee of Parliament described the process involved in drafting legislation in the Region and explained the powers of the Parliament.

Both sides stressed the importance of continuing such meetings to support relations and benefit from their experiences.

[alan131210]

Dr. Arslan Baiz, Kurdistan Parliament President, met with Mr. Kristopher Zobeil, a former MP and government minister from Germany on October 4, 2012.

During the meeting, they discussed current and previous Kurdistan Parliament sessions, as well as the make-up of the parliament including the number of members, various political parties represented, number of women members. Dr. Baez talked about the new experience of working with minority representatives in the Parliament and their need for information from more experience parliamentarians in the developed world.

Mr. Zobel is familiar with Kurdish issues from his earlier days when he was a member of the Foreign Relations Committee at the German Parliament. He also had the honour of meeting Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani in 1991. During his current visit to Kurdistan, his third, he has seen a great deal of progress and transformation in the Region.

Mr. Zobel told Dr. Baez about the purpose of this visit, which is to work on a joint conference between the University of Duhok and the University of Dortmund. He is also interested in meeting with the parties to discuss the political situation in the Region and Iraq.

Mr. Zobel was elected a member of the German Parliament in 1969 where his career spanned 18 years including a term as a minister and deputy prime minister.

[alan131210]

Kurdistan Parliament Committee for Human Rights meets with joint British and Irish delegation



The Kurdistan Parliament Human Rights Committee, met with a delegation from the joint UK Parliament. Mr. Salar Mahmoud, head of the Committee, and a number of Committee members welcomed Mr. Jeffrey Donaldson, MP from the UK Parliament, and Mr. Denis Haughey, a former minister of the Northern Ireland government.

The Committee for Human Rights provided a summary of its activities and touched on relations with civil society organizations and their role in the protection of human rights. The members commented on the important role of the Parliament and the Regional Government in developing the level of understanding of the public about human rights. They emphasized the important role of civil society organizations in this regard and expressed that there is a need to have more international human rights organizations working in the Region so that people can benefit from their experiences and work to strengthen and defend their human rights.

Mr. Donaldson said that Northern Ireland is following the human rights situation in Iraq through its representatives in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. He said that they believe that the Kurdistan Region is an appropriate place to support democracy and human rights. He called on the Committee for Human Rights at the Parliament to follow up and monitor the human rights situation in the Region in collaboration with relevant organizations around the world and with offices in the Region. He stated that they would be pleased if Committee members could visit Northern Ireland to learn about our experiences. "

A number of members of the Committee asked questions and made requests for information to the delegation. At the end of the meeting, they called on the delegation to support and expand the efforts of all the UK Parliament to get signatures to define the atrocities against the Kurds as genocide.

[alan131210]

Brazilian Ambassador discusses establishing ties with the Kurdistan Region



Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq (DFR.krg.org) – The Brazilian Ambassador to Iraq, Mr Anuar Nahes, met with Minister Falah Mustafa, Head of the KRG Department of Foreign Relations, to discuss establishment of an Honorary Consul to the Kurdistan Region. This was part of a larger visit to the Kurdistan Region.

In his first visit to the Kurdistan Region, Ambassador Nahes, said he was very pleased to see the progress the Region is making and spoke about his eagerness to establish ties with the Kurdistan Region. He said, “We want to have an official presence in Erbil and plan on appointing an Honorary Consul for Brazil to the Kurdistan Region.” The Ambassador hoped that this would be the first step in a long term plan to opening up a full consulate in the Kurdistan Region.

During the meeting both sides discussed the situation in Bagdad as well as the progress being made in Kurdistan. Minister Mustafa said, “We look forward to having an Honorary Consul of Brazil to the region. We already have a number of honorary consuls working here in Erbil. Today there are 26 foreign representative offices in the Kurdistan Region and many other countries have applied to have some sort of diplomatic representation and are just waiting for the paperwork to finish. The KRG is an emerging democracy and the presence of these representations is due to the open door policy that the KRG has decided to adhere to.”

Ambassador Nahes spoke about the Brazilian participation at the Erbil International Trade Fair that is currently ongoing until 19 October. He expressed his desire to see a large increase in the level of participation of Brazilian companies in next year’s trade fair. Minister Mustafa spoke about the importance of establishing these ties and said, “We believe that these steps will provide an opportunity for economic, cultural, educational and sports relations to be established between Brazil and the Kurdistan Region. We hope the decision to name an Honorary Consul by Brazil will be a first step in establishing these ties.”

During the meeting, Minister Mustafa briefed the Ambassador about the history of the Kurdish struggle and how far the Kurdistan Region has come in the last two decades. From his side the Brazilian Ambassador spoke about the similarities between Brazil and Iraq, particularly given that Brazil also lived through dictatorship from 1964 – 1985. He expressed optimism for the future of Iraq and explained how it had taken Brazil many years to go from a dictatorship to building a democratic system of governance.

[alan131210]

The news came after KRG foreign affairs leader Falah Mustafa met with Canadian Ambassador to Jordan.

in his first visit the FM will sign an education agreement with KRG to further develop education system in SK.

http://rudaw.net/kurdish/index.php/news/17851.html

[alan131210]

yes i heard that and apparently it will be an embassy not consulate.

[RawandKurdistani]

yes i heard that and apparently it will be an embassy not consulate.

More american influence on Kurdistan, just great

[Rando]

The representative of Iraqi Kurdistan region in Iran, Nazem Omar Dabbagh, said Iran and Iraq’s Kurdistan region have historical ties and the Iranian and Iraqi Kurdistan’s officials are willing to expand ties in all areas.

“The relations between Iraqi Kurdistan region and the Islamic Republic of Iran are historical and the officials of both sides are keen on enhancement of ties in all fields,” he said.

Omar Dabagh made the remarks during a visit to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) stand at the 19th International Press and News Agencies Fair underway in Tehran.

“Islamic Republic of Iran has played a very favorable role in establishment of ties with Kurds of the region,” Omar Dabagh said while referring to the fact that Iran and the Iraqi Kurdistan region have always wanted to consolidate their bilateral relations,” he said.

Omar Dabagh noted that the prime minister of the Iraqi Kurdistan region at the head of a high-ranking delegation will travel to Tehran on November 10.

is it smart of us to strengthen relations with iran in a time like this? for all we know they might be attacked next week

[alan131210]

It mite be for some other stuff but he is coving it up, our politicians are as just smart as Iraqi Iranian and Turkish ones, have no worry kake gyan.

Do not underestimate them, turkey had very close relations with Assad till the day the so called revolution started in Syria.

Politics = dirty games.

[crazyhorse]

The representative of Iraqi Kurdistan region in Iran, Nazem Omar Dabbagh, said Iran and Iraq’s Kurdistan region have historical ties and the Iranian and Iraqi Kurdistan’s officials are willing to expand ties in all areas.

“The relations between Iraqi Kurdistan region and the Islamic Republic of Iran are historical and the officials of both sides are keen on enhancement of ties in all fields,” he said.

Omar Dabagh made the remarks during a visit to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) stand at the 19th International Press and News Agencies Fair underway in Tehran.

“Islamic Republic of Iran has played a very favorable role in establishment of ties with Kurds of the region,” Omar Dabagh said while referring to the fact that Iran and the Iraqi Kurdistan region have always wanted to consolidate their bilateral relations,” he said.

Omar Dabagh noted that the prime minister of the Iraqi Kurdistan region at the head of a high-ranking delegation will travel to Tehran on November 10.

is it smart of us to strengthen relations with iran in a time like this? for all we know they might be attacked next week

We are not friends with Iran. This is just politics. Maliki is an Iranian puppet and, therefore, the Kurds have to play the game since we are still part of Iraq (officially, in reality we are not) and Mam Jalal, a Kurd and leader of the P.U.K --> which got a lot of support from Iran during the Iran-Iraq war/, has to play the game.

If Iran is attacked next week, I'm sure Kurds will help the liberators since the Kurds in ''Iran'' will revolt against the Iranian Regime .

[alan131210]

Kurdistan president Massoud Barzani in UAE, meet with Abu Dhabi crown prince



ABU DHABI, — General Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, has received Massoud Barzani, the President of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq who is on a visit to the UAE, the Emirates News Agency WAM reported

Welcoming Barzani, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed expressed the UAE's interest in promoting relations with Iraq, and with Kurdistan in particular, in light of a common desire to open new venues for investments in service of the interests of the two sides.

The meeting discussed venues of co-operation, ways to promote relations between the UAE and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq in a number of spheres,www.ekurd.net and to provide further support to co-operation as well as a number of matters of common concern.



President of Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region, Massoud Barzani, arrived on Friday to the United Arab Emirates on a several-day official visit, according to a source from the Kurdistan presidency.

"Barzani left for the UAE in response to an official invitation from President Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nuhayan to discuss a number of files, mainly the economic one," the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

Massoud Barzani had visited the UAE last April.

Noteworthy is that this weekend is scheduled for the 2012 Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, hosted by Abu Dhabi for the fourth year at the Yas Marina Circuit.

wam.org.ae | gulftoday.ae

[alan131210]

Al- Nahyan interested to develop joint relations and investment prospects in Kurdistan



Shafaq News / The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, Mohamed bin Zayed Al -Nahyan confirmed the Gulf emirate's devotion to develop relations with Iraq and Kurdistan Region.

(Peyamner) Web site which is close to Kurdistan Democratic Party led by , Barzani quoted that "the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Supreme Deputy of the Commander of the Armed Forces , Mohammed bin Zayed Al -Nahyan met at Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi on Friday evening, the President of Kurdistan Region, Massoud Barzani who is visiting the country currently."

He added that Al -Nahyan "welcomed the visit of the President of Kurdistan region," and expressed " the United Arab Emirates devotion to develop its relations with Iraq and Kurdistan in particular in the light of the common desire to open new investment opportunities that serves the interests of both sides."

“ They discussed during the meeting , ways to strengthen the cooperation and development of relations between the UAE and Kurdistan region in a number of fields," stressing "the importance of providing more support for bilateral cooperation as well as discussing a number of topics of common interest,” he added.

The Presidency of Kurdistan region has announced on Friday that the president of Kurdistan region, Massoud Barzani headed to the United Arab Emirates in a several-day visit.

According to a statement issued by the Presidency of the province in which "Shafaq News", received a copy of it “ President , Barzani went on Friday to the United Arab Emirates at the invitation of Sheikh , Mohammed bin Zayed Al -Nahyan as the visit will last for several days. "

The statement of the presidency did not disclose the program of Barzani's visit to the United Arab Emirates.

[crazyhorse]

Notice the Kurdish flag on the airplane, no Iraqi flag to accompany it .

How many airplanes do we have?