WATCH: Italian PM lands in Kurdistan Region, meets with Kurdish counterpart

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on Wednesday evening arrived in Erbil, the capital of the autonomous Kurdistan Region, following his meeting with Iraqi officials in Baghdad.

He was received by the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region, Nechirvan Barzani, and other government officials at Erbil International Airport (EIA).

Conte visited Baghdad on Wednesday and met with his Iraqi counterpart Adil Abdul-Mahdi to discuss bilateral ties and other topics.

“We have an opportunity to develop ties with Iraq in various fields and are working with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and World Bank to implement several projects in Iraq,” Conte said during a joint press conference.

“Iraq faces significant challenges, such as stability and prosperity, but we are confident that the Iraqi government will achieve its goals,” he added.

The Italian PM also met with President Barham Salih and Parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi during his visit to the country.

Italy is one of the members of the US-led coalition against the Islamic State. There are 1,500 Italian soldiers in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region who provide training to Iraqi forces and Kurdish Peshmerga.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany