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Kurdish President asks for more cooperation with EU

Ararat News-Publishing (ANP) – Brussels, Fiona Lorin - Roni Alasor – 11 /11/ 2009 – Talking on a two hours long speech yesterday in the European Parliament, the President of Iraqi Federal Kurdistan Massoud Barzani asked for EU`s expertise on education, health and justice system in order to reach European standards in Federal Kurdistan. Barzani also expressed wish for more political and security cooperation with EU.

The Kurdish president had the opportunity to present the situation in Kurdistan Region in Iraq in two hours lasting exchange of view with the European Parliamentarians from Foreign Affairs Committee. The meeting was translated in Kurdish and in the 23 official EU languages. It was also transmitted directly on the web page of the European Parliament. Barzani's visit to Brussels is part of multi-nation trip of few days in the European continent.

Massoud Barzani held before the European Parliamentarians a speech on “Democracy and Federalism in Iraq. The role of the Kurdistan Region”. Barznani said that he is proud of the level his people reached in the democracy and the free elections performance, compared to the Saddam era. The upcoming national elections, which is set to be held in January 2010, is seen as major test and a benchmark for the country’s democratic progress. Barzani called for the assistance of the EU and the European governments to support Iraqi Kurdistan in this important democratization process. The Kurdish President emphasized the importance of establishing transparent institution, quality educational and health system and he said that the ambition of Kurdistan Region is to be as closer as possible to the European standards.

Barzani also brought the attention of the European Parliamentarians to the terrorism issue. He underlined that Iraqi Kurdistan has a satisfactory level of security and stability and could be an example for the rest of the country. In that regard the Kurdish government is open for all kind of cooperation with the Federal government of Iraq.

For President Barzani the establishment of security is vitally related to the foreign investments in the region. The Kurdish President called for more European investments in the region, especially in the prospective of important energy projects like the Nabucco pipeline.

Massoud Barzani praised the recent developments of the relations between Turkey and the Kurds. Regarding the disarmament of PKK, Barzani emphasized that today Turkey is not only dealing with the results of the conflict as it was in the past. Turkey has openly addressed the reasons of the conflict and the possible solutions. Therefore, once the conflict is solved, there will be not need for PKK to take the arms and the political process will return to normalisation. Barzani underlined that Iraqi Kurdistan will fully support Turkey in this normalisation process.

The Members of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament addressed several questions to President Barzani regarding the minorities in Iraqi Kurdistan, the situation in Kirkuk, the relations between Iraq and Iran.Barzani invited the European Parliamentarians to visit Kurdistan region and to meet the members of the different religious and ethnical minorities in order to perceive the efforts of the Kurdish government to guarantee tolerance and peaceful coexistence. Regarding Iran, the Kurdish President mentioned that he will support the good relations with all the neighboring countries, but he is against the intervention of any country in the internal affairs of Iraq.

The disputed question of Kirkuk should be solved, according Barzani, on the basis of the Iraqi constitution which is providing a referendum for the status of the area.

The meeting with the European Parliamentarians has been followed by joint press conference of Massoud Barzani with the vice president of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament Fiorello Provera. Over fifty journalists from European and Kurdish media had the opportunity to ask their questions to the Kurdish President.

Later on Tuesday Massoud Barzani discussed the latest development in Iraq and in the Kurdish Region with Javier Solana, EU High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy,

The Kurdish President visited also the Flemish Parliament in Brussels where he had meeting with Jan Peumans, Parliament's chairmen, and with Karim Van Overmeire, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee. They discussed the possibilities for stronger cooperation between the Kurdish and the Flemish communities.

Kurdish President’s program in Brussels finished with reception for EU policymakers, diplomats and Kurdish friends. President Barzani thanked all his hosts in the European Parliament and hoped that in the future Iraqi Kurdistan will benefit more from the EU expertise. The European parliamentarians also thanked the Kurdish President for his efforts to contribute for the better understanding of the situation in Iraq.

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