Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani received Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Mr. Gabrielius Landsbergis and his accompanying delegation, in Erbil on Monday.

Discussions focused on Lithuania’s relations with Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, the political process and developments in Iraq, the continuing threat of ISIS and ways to confront the terrorist network. The status of the refugees and the displaced people in the Kurdistan Region and the migrants’ situation in camps around Europe were highlighted.

Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis expressed his gratitude to Iraq and the Kurdistan Region for their contributions and efforts to resolve the migration crisis and hoped that the collective cooperation that emerged following the crisis would offer an opportunity for further partnership between the two countries and strengthen Lithuania’s relations with Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, especially in areas of vocational training, education, collage sponsorships and other areas.

President Nechirvan Barzani expressed his gratitude to Lithuania, which is part of the International Coalition against ISIS, and for supporting Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. On the issue of migration, the President reiterated that the Kurdistan Region will, under no circumstances, be part of the efforts to mount pressure on Europe.

The President and the Foreign Minister agreed that human trafficking and using migrants for political purposes must be prevented, which calls for collective efforts among countries, especially among Iraq, the Kurdistan Region and European countries.

Other topics of discussions included the Erbil-Baghdad ties, the importance of the relations of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region with the European Union, the situation in the wider region and other issues of mutual interest.