Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani attended the inauguration ceremony of His Holiness Mar Awa III, the Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East, held at the Mar Yohanna al Ma’amadan Cathedral in Ankawa on Monday.

President Nechirvan Barzani congratulated His Holiness and offered his best wishes. His Holiness the Patriarch and the Church of the East thanked the President for his attendance, appreciated his support, and extended their gratitude to the Kurdistan Region Presidency and the relevant authorities for their cooperation and for facilitating the ceremony.

After the ceremony, President Nechirvan Barzani spoke to reporters and had the following remarks:

“We came here today to congratulate the incoming Patriarch of the Church of the East. For us in the Kurdistan Region, the coexistence among communities represents the cultural mosaic in this country. This is why we came here and congratulated His Holiness, wished him success and prosperity; and God willing he will have success.”

Replying to a question regarding the President’s message to Christians, the President said:

“Our message to all our Christian sisters and brothers is that Iraq prides itself for this cultural mosaic as we all live side by side in this country. We hope that they remain in Iraq and that we work together and further serve the country.”