Archive for month: February, 2015

Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq, (gov.krd) – Iraq’s non-membership in the International Criminal Court hinders the efforts to internationally recognise the crimes committed by the Islamic State terrorist organization, ISIS, against the civilian population in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, as genocide.

The Kurdistan Regional Government, KRG’s Minister of Martyrs and Anfal Affairs, Mahmoud Haji Salih, who is also the head of the KRG Committee on International Recognition of ISIS’s Crimes as Genocide, particularly those committed against religious and ethnic groups, reaffirmed this fact. He said, “So far Iraq is not ready to become member in ICC, therefore the legal procedures for the genocide recognition is passing through a difficult path”.

In an interview with KRG website, Minister Salih said, “The main condition for internationally trying the terrorist organization, ISIS, for genocide against Yazidi Kurds and other religious groups, is Iraq’s membership in the International Criminal Court. However, following our committee’s discussions with three Iraqi ambassadors in European countries, we got to the conclusion that Iraq is not ready to become member in ICC”.

He added that Baghdad’s stance on this issue “hinders even local efforts to set up relevant courts in Iraq or Kurdistan Region, since there is no article in the Iraqi laws that refer to genocide. The only solution is to convince the Iraqi government to treat this case individually and approve it with the International Criminal Court so that it investigates the case. For this, great deal of efforts needs to be exerted by the officials representing Kurdistan Region in the Federal Government in Baghdad”, Minister Salih told KRG website.

Following the capture of the city of Mosul and its surrounding areas in June last year, ISIS led mass-killing campaigns against the Yazidi Kurds and other religious groups living in those areas. The Ministry of Martyrs and Anfal Affairs established a centre in the city of Duhok in charge of investigating and collecting evidences of ISIS crimes. The centre has so far documented more than 300 cases, 65 of which are ready to be submitted to the International Criminal Court.

Minister Salih elaborated that the reason why Iraq is not eager to become a member at the International Criminal Court is because its membership entails great deal of responsibilities that Iraq may not be able to shoulder. He added that “if the current efforts did not succeed in recognizing the genocide against the victims of ISIS, then perhaps the UN Security Council can issue a resolution about it or a special tribunal to be established similar to the one established for Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia.”

He also said that the committee he heads plans to send a delegation to Baghdad to consult with the presidencies of the Republic, Parliament, Prime Minister, Foreign Ministry and Ministry of Justice to further discuss this issue.

Minister Salih also criticised those parties and individuals who have been trying, for political reasons, to separate Yazidis form Kurds, speculating that the Yazidis are not Kurds but a different ethnic group.

Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq, (gov.krd) – Kurdistan Regional Government senior officials and Kurdistan Region’s team in Baghdad yesterday held a meeting at the Council of Ministers building in Erbil.

The Kurdistan Regional Government officials presented a comprehensive clarification on the agreement reached between Kurdistan Regional Government and the federal Iraqi government last December on oil export and budgetary issues.

They reaffirmed KRG’s commitment to honour this agreement which became law in 2015’s federal budget.

The Kurdistan Regional Government officials explained the technical constraints which affects the implementation of the agreement as well as a misunderstanding of some terms of the agreement which the Kurdistan Regional Government is working closely with the Federal Government of Iraq to overcome these obstacles and resolve the issues.

They added that there are also some political sides in Iraq that are trying hard to hamper any improvement occur in relations between the Kurdistan Regional Government and the Federal Government of Iraq.

The role of the Kurdish representatives in the Iraqi parliament and government in ensuring that both sides are committed to the implementation of the agreement between Baghdad and Erbil was highlighted and praised.

In the meeting, Kurdistan Region Prime Minister, Nechirvan Barzani, stated that he was ready to visit Baghdad again in order to find common ground and overcome technical obstacles and misunderstandings.

In this regard he instructed a group of Kurdish ministers in the Federal Government of Iraq to open frank discussions with Iraqi Prime Minister, Haider al-Abadi.

The attendees stressed the importance of the implementation and compliance with the 2015 federal Iraqi budget. The Kurdistan Regional Government officials stated that they request the Iraqi government to deal with the Kurdistan Region and its share in line with what was agreed in this year’s federal budget.

More than one plan on how to pay the salaries of Peshmerga and civil servants were also discussed. They stressed that KRG’s current priority is the provision of salaries for its employees.

It was also decided to hold regular meetings every two months. A committee in charge of coordination between the two sides was formed.

Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq, (gov.krd) – A Kurdistan Regional Government senior delegation, headed by Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani was received in Baghdad yesterday by Iraq’s Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and a number of Iraq’s federal government officials. The two sides held two meetings during this one day visit of the Kurdistan Region delegation to Baghdad.

The main objective of the meetings was to discuss the implementation of the agreement reached last December between the Kurdistan Regional Government and the Federal Government of Iraq on oil export and budgetary issues.

During the meeting, it became apparent that due to the financial crisis in Iraq and the lack of liquidity, the Iraqi government is unable to pay the Kurdistan Region’s share of January and February from the federal budget.

The two sides agreed to continue holding further talks in order to find an appropriate solution to the situation.

Regarding the implementation of the December agreement, the Kurdistan Regional Government delegation presented a timetable for the export of oil from the Kurdistan Region, which was accepted by the Federal Government of Iraq. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to the agreement, while working to settle the immediate problem facing the agreement due to the financial crisis that affects whole of Iraq.

The two sides also discussed the latest developments in Iraq, the war against the Islamic State terrorist organization, ISIS, and the importance of coordination between the Peshmerga forces and the Iraqi Army in the fight against terrorism.

In his visit to Baghdad, Prime Minister Barzani was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister, Qubad Talabani, the Chief of Staff to President of the Kurdistan Region, Dr. Fuad Hussein, Minister of Natural Resources, Ashti Hawrami, Minister of Planning, Ali Sindi, Minister of Finance and Economy, Rebaz Muhammad and KRG spokesperson, Minister Safeen Dizayee.

www.presidency.krd

On the second day of his participation at the Munich Security Conference, President Barzani held meetings with a number of world leaders and officials, including with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, Norway’s Foreign Minister Børge Brende, Germany’s Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen, Lebanese Prime Minister Tammam Salam, Armenia’s Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian.

Both German Chancellor Merkel and Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen commended the advances made by the peshmerga forces and reiterated that Germany would send further supplies to Kurdistan for the peshmerga.

The President also participated in a panel on the fight against ISIS terrorism and the situation of IDPS in Kurdistan. He thanked the international community for its support for the peshmerga forces but added that more military aid is needed.