Germany ‘highly appreciates’ role, efforts of Peshmerga forces: German official

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The German government applauds the Kurdish Peshmerga forces' crucial efforts to combat terrorism, a visiting official said in Erbil on Thursday.

Director for Near and Middle East and North Africa at the German Foreign Office, Christian Buck, made the comments during a meeting with Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani.

During the meeting, Buck expressed his appreciation for “the role of the Peshmerga and the people and government in the Kurdistan Region in fighting terrorism,” a statement published on the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) website said.

The German official also praised the KRG for “sheltering a large number of displaced persons and refugees and providing protection for them,” and stressed “the continuation of the assistance provided by his country to the Kurdistan Region and the development of relations between the two sides.”

Prime Minister Barzani welcomed the visit and highlighted Germany’s ongoing support to the Kurdistan Region during difficult periods, especially in the realms of humanitarian and military assistance, the KRG statement said.

Barzani also expressed his government's readiness to improve and further develop ties between Erbil and Berlin.

“In another part of the meeting, both sides discussed the general conditions in the region, security developments, the formation of the new KRG cabinet, and other issues related to the political process in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region,” the statement concluded.

Germany is a member of the US-led coalition which has provided humanitarian, logistics, and military support to the Kurdistan Region over the past few years.

As part of its support to the Kurdistan Region, Germany recently completed construction on a new Peshmerga Hospital and officially handed it over to the KRG on Jan. 31.

The hospital, located in Erbil, will officially be open to Peshmerga fighters on April 24 and will employ local nurses and doctors under the supervision of the German government, hospital directors previously told Kurdistan 24. 

Editing by John J. Catherine