Kurdistan Region has all opportunities to grow its agricultural products: Dutch Consul General
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Kurdistan Region can produce its own agricultural products and has all the opportunities to do so, a senior Dutch diplomat told Kurdistan 24 on Wednesday.
Hans Akerboom, the Netherlands Consul General in the Kurdistan Region, spoke to Kurdistan 24 on the agricultural cooperation between the autonomous region and the European country.
The Kurdistan Region has all the opportunities to grow its own agricultural products, Akerboom said. He added that it's a "shame" the autonomous region imports so much fruit and vegetables from outside since it's expensive and not even fresh.
The Dutch diplomat said that his country's cooperation in the agricultural area would continue in 2022.
Peshmerga reform
The Netherlands, along with the United Kingdom, the United States, and Germany, is working with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Ministry of Peshmerga on a reform program that aims to unify and modernize the Kurdish force.
The diplomat said that his country would continue contributions to the reform program alongside the other countries to make "the Kurdistan Region much safer".
Despite providing military vehicles and weaponry, the Coalition forces also give the Peshmerga training. The Kurdish forces are still fighting the remnants of ISIS in the areas disputed between Erbil and Baghdad.
Even though it lost all the territories it captured in 2017, ISIS recently ramped up its hit-and-run attacks on civilians and Peshmerga in the disputed territories, killing more than 20 in two weeks.
"I feel so sorry [for] what happened the last weeks with the Peshmerga," Akerboom said of those recent attacks.
Christmas and New Year
"We wish all the people in the Kurdistan Region a very festive period [in] the coming weeks," Akerboom said. He also expressed his hope that the New Year brings "many good moments and job opportunities".
Akerboom will stay in the "beautiful Kurdistan Region" for the New Year and Christmas celebrations, he told Kurdistan 24.
Over the holiday, he also plans to visit the autonomous region's resort areas and cities, including Korek Mountain and Sulaimani.