Foreign Ministers of Benelux countries arrive in Kurdistan

The Foreign Ministers of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxemburg, known as the Benelux countries, on Sunday arrived in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region.

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – The Foreign Ministers of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxemburg, known as the Benelux countries, on Sunday arrived in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region.

Bert Koenders, Foreign Minister of the Netherlands, Didier Reynders, Foreign Minister of Belgium, and Jean Asselborn, Foreign Minister of Luxembourg, arrived in Kurdistan and were received by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani and other KRG officials at the Erbil International Airport.

According to a Kurdistan24 reporter, the Benelux Foreign Ministers were expected to discuss humanitarian assistance for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and refugees as well as the Islamic State (IS) war.

The Benelux Union is a politico-economic union of three neighboring states in western Europe consisting of Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg.

The term “Benelux” was formed by joining the first two or three letters of each country’s name.

KRG spokesperson Safeen Dizayee told Kurdistan24 the visit of the Benelux Foreign Ministers was a diplomatic success for the Kurdistan Region, stating the KRG leadership would inform the visiting delegation on the challenges the Region currently faces.

Dizayee added the KRG hoped the Benelux Union would provide more support to the Kurdistan Region.

Additionally, the KRG spokesman stated the Benelux Foreign Ministers and the KRG officials would discuss bilateral relations.

He also mentioned officials from both sides would examine the current military and humanitarian issues in the Kurdistan Region.  

More specifically, Dizayee pointed to the great influx of IDPs who are expected to arrive in the Region as the Mosul military operation intensifies.

 

Editing by Ava Homa and Karzan Sulaivany