President Nechirvan Barzani received today in Erbil a delegation from the European Parliament led by Ms. Nathalie Loiseau, Chair of the European Parliament’s Sub-Committee on Security and Defence.

During their meeting with the President, the visiting delegation discussed the purpose of their visit to the Kurdistan Region, and underlined that the European Union (EU) is closely following the developments in the wider region. The delegation stressed the importance of stability of the region to Europe, and praised the role, the sacrifices and bravery of the Peshmarga forces in the fight against ISIS, commending the Kurdistan Region’s realistic vision for the wider region.

For his part, President Nechirvan Barzani thanked the European Union for its humanitarian and military support within the framework of the international coalition to the Kurdistan Region and the Peshmerga in the difficult war against ISIS, and emphasized on the significance of cooperation between the Peshmerga forces and the Iraqi army in the areas of Article 140 of the Constitution. The President appreciated the continued cooperation and partnership of the EU member states with Iraq and the Kurdistan Region in political, economic, social and educational fields.

On the pending issues between Erbil and Baghdad, the President reiterated that the resolution of lingering disputes between the two sides should be based on the Iraqi constitution as he gave an overview of the Kurdistan Region’s vision for the situation in the wider region. The President emphasized that Kurdistan remains a factor of peace and stability in the region, and seeks resolution of differences through dialogue and negotiations.

Discussions also focused on the Iraqi political process and the recent ruling of the Federal Supreme Court of Iraq, and the European nations and the international community’s engagement and support to help Iraq surpass the current political deadlock. The ramifications of the war in Ukraine, and the further development of European Union’s bilateral relations with Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, and the issues of human rights and gender equality were also discussed at the meeting which was attended by Representative of the Kurdistan Regional Government to Belgium, and Representative of the European Parliament’s office in the Kurdistan Region.