Kurdistan president meets UN head to discuss Iraqi, Middle Eastern affairs
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani met on Friday the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland to discuss Middle Eastern affairs amid regional tensions.
During the meeting, “President Barzani commended the role of the United Nations and its agencies in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region,” stressing “the need for anti-ISIS international coalition’s continued engagement in order to prevent the resurgence of terrorism,” a statement from Barzani’s office said.
Amid an ongoing Iraqi call, led by Iranian-backed militia supporters as well as other top Shia figures such as Muqtada al-Sadr, for US forces to be removed from Iraqi territory, Kurdish leaders have expressed worries about the effect such a withdrawal would have on the future of the fight against the so-called Islamic State. US troops are at the head of an international mission to aid Iraqi and Kurdish forces in anti-terror operations.
In another part of the meeting, Barzani and Guterres discussed another issue that has been leading national Iraqi affairs since late October: protests that have led to the deaths of close to 600 demonstrators amid continued crackdowns by the security forces and the announced resignation of the prime minister and his cabinet.
Barzani “expressed support for the legitimate demands of the Iraqi demonstrators, as they call for basic services and a better future.” The two officials also “discussed the formation of a new cabinet in Iraq.”
Iraqi caretaker Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi resigned from his post in early December as a deadly crackdown climaxed and amid calls by the country’s top Shia authority, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.
Barzani and Guterres also discussed “the plight of Syrian refugees and internally displaced persons and latest developments in the wider region.”
Aside from the Guterres, the Kurdish leader met with US President Donald Trump as well as several other world leaders, ministers, and high-ranking officials during his 3-day visit to the WEF in Davos.
Read More: Kurdistan President Nechirvan Barzani meets Donald Trump in Davos
Barzani stated during a briefing of Kurdish media at the event that Trump had expressed his appreciation for the region’s embrace of the various religious and national components, and the consolidation of a culture of coexistence and tolerance. Trump had also expressed gratitude to the Peshmerga forces for their efforts in the fight against the Islamic State, he added.
During a panel discussion, President Barzani affirmed that the Kurdistan Region aims to cool tensions. “Our role is to de-escalate the tension, and the KRG is in constant dialogue with Baghdad to help find a solution to the crisis,” he said.
Editing by John J. Catherine