Russia wants to develop cultural, education ties with Kurdistan Region: Consul General
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Russia is ready to strengthen ties with the Kurdistan Region and cooperate in different areas such as education and trade, a Russian diplomat stated on Monday.
Oleg Levin, the Consul General of the Russian Federation in the Kurdistan Region, relayed to Kurdistan 24 in an interview his satisfaction with development in the autonomous Kurdish region, particularly the forming of a new government and its pursuit of reform.
Support for KRG
Levin affirmed his country’s support toward the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) efforts in its dedication to reform the government, economy, and other societal sectors, describing it as “a step in the right direction.”
The Russian consulate in Kurdistan works “to further develop ties with the Kurdistan Region, especially in the economy sector,” the Russian Consul General noted. Levin pointed to companies like Gazprom Neft and Rosneft, who operate in Kurdistan.
Erbil and Moscow have deepened bilateral relations over the past few years, notably after the KRG signed an agreement with Russia’s state oil company Rosneft to develop the region’s oil and gas infrastructure, including the design of a new gas pipeline that could boost oil production in the Kurdistan Region.
Meanwhile, Gazprom Neft, Russia’s third-largest oil producer, first began operating in Iraq in 2010, in the southern province of Wasit, before it launched operations in Kurdistan.
“Furthermore, Russia offered 30 seats of study scholarships to students in the Kurdistan Region, and plans to increase it next year,” he added.
Cultural Relations
According to Levin, Russia also wants to strengthen cultural ties with the Kurdistan Region.
He said Moscow wants to encourage an exchange of culture and knowledge through university professors, doctors, and others “to further develop investment opportunities between the Russian Federation and the Kurdistan Region.”
The Consul General concluded by wishing the people of Kurdistan a happy New Year.
Editing by Karzan Sulaivany
(Additional reporting by Blesa Shaweys)