Italy reaffirms continued support for Kurdistan Region

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, who stated that the security and stability of the region is essential to Italy, welcomed the Prime Minister of Kurdistan Region Nechirvan Barzani and his accompanying delegates to Rome.

 

At the meeting, Mr Barzani expressed his personal thanks to his Italian counterpart for providing Kurdistan with military and humanitarian aid amid the ongoing crisis in northern Iraq which began last summer. He also said that Mr Renzi’s visit in 2014 was a statement to the world that global leaders dedicate support to Kurdistan.

The two sides discussed the current situation developing in the region, the progresses of Peshmerga forces, circumstances for internally displaced people (IDP) and refugees. Their current conditions represent a challenge that the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is finding uneasy to address and requires that the international community provide more aid.

Mr Renzi reasserted to Mr Barzani that Italy will continue to donate military and humanitarian aid to the region. He joined other world leaders in thanking the Peshmerga for their actions and sacrifices in fighting Islamic State (IS), adding that Italy considers itself a friend of the Kurdish people, and recognises the region as strategically vital.

 

Mr Renzi had announced at the meeting Italy is confirming the significance of the Kurdistan Region by increasing consular services that it is growing with stability and security which the entire world should acknowledge.

 

The two leaders concluded their meeting discussing the relationship between Erbil and Baghdad, and the crisis in Syria where it was agreed that the situation needs a political solution to be pursued.