President Barzani's Message on the Occasion of the Anniversary of the March Agreement

In the name of Allah, the Passionate, the Merciful

Today, we remember the fifty-first anniversary of the March 1970 Agreement, which was the fruit of the struggle and sacrifices of our people during the Great September Revolution.

The importance of the March Agreement lies in the Iraqi government’s recognition, for the first time and formally, as part of the legitimate rights of the people of Kurdistan. It also proved that the authorities in Iraq cannot undermine the will of the people of Kurdistan with weapons, force and violence.

The resistance, steadfastness and sacrifices of the Peshmerga, the unity of the revolutionary ranks and the patriots under the leadership of the late Barzani forced the Iraqi government at that time to sit at the negotiating table and recognize the rights and historical gains of our people. Although the March Agreement was violated by the regime, that gain was a gateway to a new stage of struggle and a major step towards achieving great gains and victories for our people.

On this anniversary, and while we affirm our people's message of peace, coexistence and dialogue, we remind everyone and remind them that denying and ignoring the rights of the people of Kurdistan and violating the constitutional and legal agreements and principles related to the rights of the people of Kurdistan will not in any way break the will of our people to achieve their legitimate rights. Because the people of Kurdistan have long experiences of struggle, awareness and steadfastness, and are well aware of their rights and will not give them up.

 

Masoud Barzani

March 11, 2021