Swedish foreign minister, Kurdistan president meet in Erbil

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani received Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs Ann Linde, who arrived in Erbil Monday evening to meet top Kurdish officials.

Linde left for Erbil from the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, where she met senior Iraqi officials to discuss bilateral ties.

The latest developments in Iraq, the outcome of the Oct. 10 parliamentary election, Swedish ties with Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, investment opportunities in Kurdistan, the situation of IDPs and refugees in the region, and other issues of common interests led discussions between Barzani and Linde, a statement from the Kurdish president's website read.

Barzani and Linde stressed the need to continue efforts "to improve the living conditions of women in Iraq and Kurdistan Region" and helping to ensure they "have a more active role and more involvement in the political process."

They also highlighted the importance of human rights, freedom of expression, democracy, and an independent judiciary.

Erbil-Baghdad ties, Kurdistan Region's relations with neighboring countries, and holding suspected ISIS members to account took up another part of the meeting, the statement from Barzani's office concluded.