President Barzani: No country is against Kurdistan independence

The Middle East is undergoing big changes.

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – The Kurdistan Region President stated that Kurdistan independence has been the main topic of discussions and meetings with the European officials.

In an interview with reporters on Thursday, Masoud Barzani, President of the Kurdistan Region, said that Baghdad is gradually coming to terms with becoming a friendly neighbor of Kurdistan.

Independence has been the most important subject discussed with all European officials, Barzani said.

No country is against Kurdistan independence but there might be differences on the timeline of declaring independence, Barzani added, saying that the Middle East is undergoing much change. 

If am not sure about the success of the independence process, I will not take this risk, Barzani told reporters.

In regards to the situation in Turkey and the peace process between Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the Turkish state, Barzani stated that at the moment Turkey’s internal situation does not allow the restart of the peace process.

Concerning the Kurdish disunity in Rojava (northern Syria) President Barzani urged all parties to return to negotiations and consider the agreements signed between them in Duhok and Erbil.

President Barzani met French President Francois Hollande at Élysée Palace on Thursday.

On Wednesday, President Barzani arrived in Paris and met with the French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and the mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo.

Following the meeting with the mayor of Paris, Barzani told reporters that military and security related topics were discussed in the meeting with the Defense Minister.

Hollande visited Erbil the capital of the Kurdistan Region on September 12, 2014, at a time when IS was less than 50 km (30 miles) away from Erbil.

 

Editing by Ava Homa