President Nechirvan Barzani received Lebanon’s Minister of Justice, Mr. Henry Khoury and his accompanying delegation including the Head of Lebanon’s Judiciary Council, the Assistant Secretary-General of the Arab League, and a number of advisors who are visiting Iraq following their invitation to take part in the Iraqi Day of Justice celebration in Baghdad.

At the meeting, attended by Kurdistan Region Minister of Justice, the judiciary system and the status of the courts in Lebanon, Iraq and the Kurdistan Region were highlighted as well as similarities among the three justice systems. The cooperation between the Lebanese and the Iraqi judicial authorities were also discussed as well as ways to share and benefit from related experiences in this field. The importance of the independence of the judiciary was highlighted and both sides underlined that the independence of the justice system is the basis of statehood.

The latest political and security developments in Iraq and Lebanon were also highlighted. On this issue, the Lebanese delegation gave a brief overview of the efforts of their government to surpass the current difficult economic situation and crises in Lebanon and also referred to the Arab League initiative and efforts to support the Lebanese justice authority.

President Nechirvan Barzani valued the delegation’s visit to Iraq and the Kurdistan Region and expressed hope that Iraq and the Kurdistan Region’s cooperation with Lebanon in issues related to the judiciary develop further. The President also noted the contributions of the Lebanese community in the Kurdistan Region especially in reconstruction, service and banking sectors.

Discussions also focused on the status of the refugees and the displaced people in the Kurdistan Region and other topics of mutual interest.