Politics

WATCH: Pope Francis praises Kurdistan's tolerance during Vatican meeting with PM Barzani

During his official visit to the Vatican, Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani met on Wednesday with Pope Francis, who praised the region’s culture of tolerance towards ethnic and religious minorities, according to a statement from Barzani’s office.

Kosar Nawzad 2020/02/19 15:18

middle east Kurdistan Iraq Vatican Italy Erbil

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – During his official visit to the Vatican, Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani met on Wednesday with Pope Francis, who praised the region’s culture of tolerance towards ethnic and religious minorities, according to a statement from Barzani’s office.

The Kurdish official's visit to Italy began on Sunday, following the conclusion of the 2020 Munich Security Conference at which he met with multiple world leaders and top diplomats. He was accompanied by a high-level delegation of ministers and met with top Italian officials in the capital of Rome, including Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte.

Barzani updated the Pope on the latest developments in Iraq and the region, noting “the critical role the Kurdistan Regional Government [(KRG)] has played in protecting minorities in the Kurdistan Region, including Christians, from terrorism and persecution,” a statement on the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) website read.

Pope Francis “thanked PM Barzani for the leading role the KRG has taken in supporting refugees fleeing conflict in Syria and Iraq, providing a haven of coexistence for all faiths.” He also praised the KRG leadership for “demonstrating a culture of tolerance and understanding towards all ethnic and religious groups.”

Barzani presented the pontiff with a framed display containing the charred remains of an ancient bible that had been burned by Islamic State militants in a Christian village and then carefully recovered by Kurdish Peshmerga forces.

“Every one of our citizens is entitled to freedom of worship and that will remain central to my government’s plans for our region’s development in the years to come,” said Barzani after the meeting.

He met a day earlier with Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, with whom he discussed, “the importance of tolerance and understanding both between and within different faiths. Religious tolerance is one of Kurdistan’s great strengths – we must do all we can to preserve it,” according to a social media post from the prime minister.

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani, when he was Kurdistan's prime minister in early 2018, met with Pope Francis who relayed similar positive comments, noting Kurdistan’s welcoming atmosphere to displaced people, namely minorities.

In mid-2019, the pope announced that he wanted to embark on a first papal visit to Iraq in 2020 but the likelihood of such a trip is currently unclear amid regional tensions and ongoing anti-government protests across southern and central parts of the country.

Late in January, Iraq’s Kurdish President Barham Salih went to the Vatican as well, meeting Pope Francis to discuss a range of issues that continue to plague the Middle Eastern country. The two sides discussed, among other things, “the importance of preserving the historical presence of Christians in the country… highlighting the need to guarantee their security and a place in the future of Iraq.”

During Wednesday's meeting, Prime Minister Masrour Barzani took the opportunity to “invite His Holiness to visit the Kurdistan Region the next time he travels to Iraq.”

Editing by John J. Catherine