Masoud Barzani: After IS defeat, reasons for group’s emergence must be addressed

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Despite the so-called Islamic State’s (IS) military defeat, the reasons which allowed the extremist group to emerge must be addressed, leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) Masoud Barzani said on Thursday.

Barzani’s comments came during a meeting in the Kurdistan Region capital of Erbil with new Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Iraq Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert and an accompanying delegation.

During the meeting, the KDP leader extended his congratulations to Hennis-Plasschaert, who replaced former UN Special Envoy Jan Kubis, and wished her success in her new role, a statement on Barzani’s official website read.

The two also discussed the war against terrorism in Iraq and addressed fears that IS may take advantage of instability in liberated areas.

Barzani “stressed the need to combat terrorism from intellectual, social, and economic aspects.”

“It is true that the extremist group has been defeated on the military side, but the reasons for the emergence of terrorism must be addressed, or it will appear again,” the statement quoted the KDP leader as saying.

In another part of the meeting, the two highlighted relations between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the Iraqi government which have improved since the Kurdistan Region’s September 2017 independence referendum.

“Kurdistan has always been on the path of understanding and dialogue to address the problems” between Erbil and Baghdad, Barzani stated.

Elsewhere, Hennis-Plasschaert met with Kurdistan Region Security Council (KRSC) Chancellor Masrour Barzani who congratulated her on the new role and expressed his “readiness to work closely with her during her mission,” a KRSC statement read.

According to the statement, the two had a “lengthy, candid exchange” about recent political developments in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.

“Both sides affirmed their common interest in addressing disagreements between Erbil and Baghdad in a way that advances a common agenda and is based on mechanisms stipulated in the Constitution,” the statement concluded.