Archive for month: March, 2016

Minister Falah Mustafa met yesterday at the Russian Consulate General in Erbil with Consul General Viktor Simakov to thank him for Russia’s support and to exchange views on issue of common interest.

Consul General Simakov reaffirmed Russia’s commitment to Kurdistan Region and Iraq to confront together the scourge of terrorism in the region. Recalling the historical and cultural bonds that connect Kurdistan and Russia, both sides agreed to continue working together in order to further strengthen and broaden bilateral relationships.

On 16 March 2016 the KRG UK Representation in collaboration with the All-Party Parliamentary Group on the Kurdistan Region and The Centre for Kurdish Progress hosted a Rally for Halabja Remembrance in the British Parliament.

Marking the 28th year commemoration of the Chemical bombardment of Halabja, one of the most horrific crimes committed against humanity in the twentieth century resulting in the death of more than 5,000 innocent people including men, women and children and leaving 10,000 people with server lifelong injures at the hands of the brutal regime of Saddam Hussein simply for being a Kurd, was attended by British Ministers, Members of Parliament, House of Lords, members of the diplomatic community, the former KRG Minister for Martyrs and Anfal Affairs, civil-society, the business community, Kurdish and Iraqi political parties, the Kurdish Diaspora, and representatives from the UK and Kurdistani media organisations.

In his opening remarks, Karwan Jamal Tahir, the KRG High Representative to the United Kingdom, urged the UK and the international community to assist the KRG with the redevelopment efforts of the governorate of Halabja and extend medical treatments to its survivors. He continued to say, “The horrific events that took place in Halabja, twenty-eight years ago today will never be forgotten by the Kurds and we need to ensure the world does not either. We call on the international community to unite against such acts of terror and prevent them from ever happening again and recognise the chemical bombardment in Halabja and the Anfal campaigns carried out against the Kurds in Iraq as an act of genocide.”

The Minister for the Middle East at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Tobias Ellwood, reiterated the British government’s solidarity with the people of Halabja and the Kurdistan Region and said “This British government is a friend of the Kurdistan Region. Our ties were very much cemented there 25 years ago when we enforced the no-fly zone to protect the Kurdish people. Since then UK Ministers including myself have continued to highlight the needs and support the rights of the Kurdish people and other minorities in Iraq.”

Hilary Benn, the Shadow Foreign Secretary, from the Labour Party, expressed his gratitude and tribute to the Peshmerga and the KRG for their alliance with the UK and the global coalition to defeat Daesh. He concluded his solidarity message with the people of Halabja and Kurdistan by saying “As we mourn the loss of so many lives in the horror of Halabja let us resolve to giver expression to the words “never again”.

Nadhim Zahawi MP, the Vice-Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on the Kurdistan Region, a cross party group that works to further strengthen relations between the KRG and the UK, described his emotions and sorrow while hearing about the atrocities of Halabja. He commended the resilience of the people of Halabja and vowed to continue to work toward seeking international recognition for the genocide committed against them. He said “The very inspiring thing about the people of Halabja is they refuse to allow themselves to be consumed by what happened that evil day. They refuse themselves to be allowed to be defeated to be broken by the Chemical Weapon attack. Instead they look to the future, they look to reconciliation and rebuilding their land, as do all of the Kurdish people”

At the end of the event guests had the opportunity to write a message expressing their solidarity with the people of Halabja in the book of commemoration that will be presented to the Governorate of Halabja by the KRG UK Representation in the coming weeks.

Duhok, Kurdistan Region, Iraq (cabinet.gov.krd) – In a ceremony held today in Duhok, attended by Kurdistan Region President, Masoud Barzani, Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani, Chancellor of Kurdistan Region Security Council and Honorary President of the American University of Duhok, Masrour Barzani, a number of foreign diplomatic representatives and KRG and Iraqi ministers and political parties’ representatives, the American University of Duhok was opened.

In a speech he made at the ceremony, Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani said, “Opening a university during this challenging period is the right message to our enemies that no matter how hard they try, they will not be able to stop our path to prosperity and growth. It is also a sign that the love of our people for life, development, and building a brighter future cannot be eliminated by difficulties facing our region.”

Following is the text of the speech:

Your Excellency President Masoud Barzani,
Excellencies Ambassadors of the United States of America and the Republic of Italy
Consuls and foreign representatives,
Leaders of political parties, governors,
Friends of Kurdistan Region who are joining us here today
Distinguished guests,

I warmly welcome you all to this important event. I am pleased to be here with you all to participate in the grand opening of the American University Duhok Kurdistan. This university will become an excellent center of education for the city of Duhok and Kurdistan Region and will be known as yet another accomplishment for the Duhok province. I would like to seize this opportunity to offer my sincere congratulations to Mr. Masror Barzani for being the driving force behind the establishment of the University as well as the people of Kurdistan in general and Duhok in particular.

Quality of educational institutions in any country is an indicator of its level of development, advanced nations are known for their world-class education and academic excellence. Therefore; we have to attach great importance to building and enhancing the quality of our educational institutions.

Opening a university during this challenging period is the right message to our enemies that no matter how hard they try, they will not be able to stop our path to prosperity and growth. It is also a sign that the love of our people for life, development, and building a brighter future cannot be eliminated by difficulties facing our region.

Fighting for the freedom of Kurdistan prevented our fathers and grandfathers from graduating from universities. They sacrificed their lives so that the new generation can have the opportunity to study at universities. I salute our martyrs for giving us our freedom.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The Kurdistan Regional Government has placed great importance on the education sector and higher education. We have given the opportunity to the private sector to open institutions and universities in the Kurdistan Region in accordance with international standards of academic excellence.

The number of educational institutions in the Kurdistan Region has considerably increased in the past several years. Currently, we have 15 public universities, several public technical institutes, 13 private universities, and 9 private technical institutes. The Kurdistan Council of Medical Specialty and Kurdistan Board for Strategic Studies and Scientific Researches are also of equivalent status to universities.

Today 94,700 students are enrolled in higher education institutions in the Kurdistan Region. Forty-eight percent of students are female, a very positive indicator that will increase women participation in the development of our society in the future.

Kurdistan Region is now in great need of occupational education. Training individuals through occupational education programs can greatly contribute to the development of our Region. Therefore, we have to pay more attention to such kind of educational programs to enhance human resources and capacity building.

Ladies and gentlemen,

We all know that the imposed war on Kurdistan Region and other challenges have placed a tremendous burden on the shoulders of our people. Since the beginning of 2014, the Iraqi government has cut the share of the Kurdistan Region of the federal budget. This was followed by the imposed war on Kurdistan Region by the most barbaric terrorist organization, which caused the displacement of 1.8 million refugees and internally displaced people to our region. Lastly, our economy has suffered the most painful blow due to sharp drop in oil prices.

We understand the magnitude of challenges facing our region. We consider the challenges as a golden opportunity and an important lesson to remedy our shortcomings and to conduct meaningful economic reforms. In that regard, we have started to implement a comprehensive reform plan, particularly in the areas of administrative system and fiscal administration in order to balance the budget.

We will implement necessary measures to further enhance revenue transparency, in particular oil revenue transparency so that we can put an end to the campaign against Kurdistan Region on oil revenues.

To successfully pass this stage we are in need of full cooperation between the people and the government of Kurdistan Region. On behalf of myself and the government of Kurdistan Region, I express my sincere appreciation to the people of Kurdistan Region, especially those who live off government salaries for their resilience.

I want to reassure all public servants that their financial entitlements will not be wasted. We were obliged to take some temporary austerity measures as part of our plan to overcome the financial crisis.

We have overcome even harsher situations in the past. I firmly believe we will successfully pass this stage as well. Throughout the history, we have experienced immense hardships; yet we have never surrendered. We believe in the will of our people, and we believe a brighter future awaits us.

Please allow me to offer my sincerest appreciation for the bravery of our Peshmergas who sacrifice their lives to defend Kurdistan. Their bravery is recognized by the whole world. I salute the martyrs who lost their lives defending the freedom of Kurdistan and values of humanity in the fight against the terrorists.

Distinguished guests,

I would like to once again extend my appreciation to the people of Badinan and particularly the city of Duhok for their remarkable humanitarian response and warm welcome to the displaced Yezidis, Christians, and Muslims who took refuge in the Duhok province fleeing the cruelty of ISIS terrorists. The people of Duhok can hold their heads up high because they taught the whole world a lesson in humanity.

The people of Duhok very generously opened the doors of their homes, mosques, and schools for the refugees and displaced people, regardless of their ethnic or religious background.

Our welcoming attitude perfectly demonstrates our culture of peaceful co-existence and religious tolerance that is deeply rooted in our society and history.  Peaceful co-existence of different religious and ethnic groups in the Kurdistan Region is widely acclaimed internationally and has become a source of our pride.

I would like to thank the governorate of Duhok, the Governor, and all local authorities for bearing such an immense responsibility and for working hard to provide services for the people of Duhok and for more than 670,000 displaced people and refugees in the province. I also like to thank all local and international organization for helping us to relief the suffering of the refugees and displaced people in the region.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The genocide committed against our Yezidi sisters and brothers will never be forgotten. It was one of the most heinous crimes against humanity in the recent history. The massacre of Yezidis, kidnaping their women and girls, destruction of their villages and hometowns, and the atrocities committed against our Christian brothers in the Nineveh plain and other components of our society can never be forgotten, the wounds are too deep to be healed easily.

There is no doubt that ISIS terrorists will pay a heavy price for their atrocities. We will continue to do whatever it takes to support our Yezidi brothers and sisters and to give them the hope of a better future.

The liberation of Shingal under the direct command of President Barzani was the first step in our efforts. Our next step is to rebuild Shingal and to provide a better life for its people.

Please allow me to reiterate our call upon our friends in the international community to help us rebuild areas destroyed by ISIS terrorists so that the displaced people will have the opportunity to start a new life in their hometowns.

We believe the biggest blow to ISIS would be to help the displaced people return to their hometowns and build their lives stronger than ever before. The peaceful co-existence of the people of Kurdistan Region has to be protected and practiced in other areas.

We are relentlessly continuing our efforts to free our Yezidi sisters and brothers from ISIS terrorists. So far we have been able to rescue 2,426. Just today we have rescued 5 women and 14 children and we will not relent in our determination to rescue those still in ISIS captivity. We have also made progress in our efforts to obtain international recognition for the crimes committed against Yezidi Kurds as acts of genocide.

We are grateful for the support provided to the Kurdistan Region in the fight against ISIS by the U.S-led Coalition in terms of air strikes, military training and support. With the support of the coalition, our Peshmerga forces have been able to inflict heavy damages on ISIS and to consolidate the frontlines.

As for the internal unity of the Kurdistan Region, I would like to reiterate our commitment to solve internal disagreements through dialogue and negotiation. Our internal unity is of paramount importance, when we are united, together we can build a brighter future for the people of Kurdistan Region.

At the end, I would like to once again congratulate the opening of this university. I am confident this university will contribute to the development of higher education in the Kurdistan Region and will become a place where students can receive excellent education, helping them to build a bright future for themselves. This university will be another bridge of communication between Kurdistan and international universities.

I thank the company that built the campus of the university, and I wish them continued success.

Thank you all

Erbil, Kurdistan Region (dfr.gov.krd) – DFR hosted a special session today for the KRG Minister of Interior and Mayor of Shingal to brief diplomats and representatives of UN agencies and INGOs based in Erbil on the needs of the city.

At the outset of the meeting, Minister Falah Mustafa, Head of KRG Foreign Relations called for a moment of silence to show respect for the victims of the atrocities committed against the Yezidi Kurds by the ISIS terrorists.

Minister Falah Mustafa, Head of KRG Foreign Relations, thanked diplomats and representatives of UN agencies and INGOs for attending the meeting. Minister Mustafa thanked the US-led Coalition for the support provided to Peshmerga forces in the liberation of Shingal. He stated that “Liberation of Shingal was very important to the people of Kurdistan and the civilized world. The ISIS terrorists have committed grave crimes in Syria and Iraq but the most barbaric and heinous crimes were committed in Shingal. ISIS committed another Anfal against Kurds in Shingal.” The Minister called for urgent support from the members of international community in the reconstruction process of the city of Shingal, as eighty percent of the city has been completely destroyed.

KRG Minister of Interior and Acting Minister of Peshmerga, Mr. KArim Sinjari highlighted the role of Peshmerga forces and the contributions of the Counter-ISIS Coalition in the fight against ISIS. Minister Sinjari requeted the international community to allocate specific financial assistance to the KRG from the funds offered to the government of Iraq, to help KRG document the crimes committed against Yezidis, and to support KRG’s efforts to gain international recognition of the Yezidi genocide.

Calling for an international conference on the reconstruction of Shingal, Mayor of Shingal, Mahma Khalil, gave a brief overview of the history of Shingal, the crimes committed against the Yezidi Kurds and the needs of the local administration to restore life in the city. Mayor Khalil also called for international support to free the Yezidi women from ISIS and to provide rehabilitation programs to those who have been rescued. He said that still 3,878 Yezidi women remain in ISIS captivity. The Mayor asked for the support of the UN to restore trust among the various communities in Shingal area and reiterated the commitment of his administration to peaceful co-existence and religious tolerance.

Director General of JCC, Mr. Hoshang Mohammed, presented the findings of a comprehensive assessment of the immediate needs and urgent priorities for early recovery, which captured the level of the damage sustained to infrastructure inside the city as well as public and private property.

Mr. Alain Guépratte, Consul General of the French Republic and acting dean of the diplomatic community, and several other diplomats expressed deep sympathy to the families of the victims of Shingal tragedy and commended the Peshmerga forces on the liberation of Shingal. They voiced their support for the stabilization and reconstruction process of Shingal.

The meeting was attended by diplomats from Republic of France, United Arab Emirates, Republic of Turkey, Kingdom of Netherlands, Islamic Republic of Iran, Russian Federation, Republic of Hungry, People Republic of China, Czech Republic, Hashemite Kingdome of Jordan, Republic of Poland, Arab Republic of Egypt, Italy, United States of America, Sweden,  Republic of Korea, State of Kuwait, Republic of Sudan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom, Republic of Romania, State of Palestine, Japan, India, Bulgaria, EU and representatives of ICRC and UN agencies based in Kurdistan.