Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani received His Holiness Mar Awa III, the Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East, in Erbil on Wednesday.

At the meeting, attended by a delegation from the Assyrian Church of the East and the Minister of Endowment and Religious Affairs, President Nechirvan Barzani congratulated His Holiness again on his election as the new Patriarch, wished him success and reaffirmed full support for his mission and for the Assyrian Church of the East.

The President valued the role of His Holiness, the Church, the churchmen and the clergies of all faiths in consolidating coexistence, tolerance and peace. The President referred to the seat of the Patriarch of the Assyrian Church in Erbil and described it as significant, meaningful and a sign of trust.

For his part, His Holiness Mar Awa III expressed his delight and appreciation to President Nechirvan Barzani for attending the consecration ceremony of the Patriarch, commended the role and efforts of the President in supporting the communities, and preserving coexistence and tolerance in the Kurdistan Region. Both sides emphasized on moderation and the importance of stability.

The status of the Church in the Kurdistan Region, in Iraq and the world, and the situation of the Christians and all communities in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq were highlighted. His Holiness thanked the people and government of the Kurdistan Region for hosting the refugees and internally displaced people in the Kurdistan Region.