European Parliament Vice-President visits Kurdistan officials

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (K24) – On Sunday, Ryszard Czarnecki, the Vice-President of the European Parliament, met Kurdistan Region President, Masoud Barzani and Kurdistan Parliament members on his first trip of 2016.

Czarnecki told K24 on Sunday that he met with the Kurdistan Region’s President, Masoud Barzani and the Kurdistan Parliament members. He added that he will visit the refugees and Internally Displaced People (IDPs) who have found shelter in the Kurdistan Region.

Czarnecki explained that his main message to the European Parliament after this trip will be to suggest more help for the Kurdistan Region economically and diplomatically. He signified the role of the Kurdistan Region regarding stability and peace in the Middle East region.

Dilawar Azhgay, the Kurdistan Regional Government envoy to the European Union (EU), explained that the deputy parliament speaker of the Kurdistan Region, Jafar Eminki, invited Czarnecki in an official letter to visit Kurdistan in late 2015.

Azhgay added, “For us the time of [Czarnecki’s] visit to Kurdistan is very significant, because this is [Czarnecki’s] first trip in 2016…especially [after] he mentioned they support the Kurdistan Region…economically and diplomatically.” Kurdistan envoy to the EU explained that one of the main topics of discussion in Czarnecki’s visit with Kurdistan officials was the war against the Islamic State (IS) and the effectiveness of Peshmerga forces against them.

After the terrorist attacks on Paris and other European cities by IS, the EU plans to take more serious measures against the extremists, according to Czarnecki.

Azhgay revealed the two sides talked about EU’s financial aid to the Kurdistan Region in 2016 for resolving the economic crisis brought to the region by housing a large number of refugee and IDPs. The Kurdish envoy pointed out the meeting also focused on the military necessities of the Peshmerga forces.