PM Barzani's UK visit set 'ambitious agenda' for future cooperation: Consul General

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani's visit to the United Kingdom in late April set an "ambitious agenda" for future cooperation between London and Erbil, Britain's Consul General David Hunt told Kurdistan 24. 

The prime minister's visit to the UK in April "has set a really ambitious forward agenda for what we do over the next few years in order to deepen our friendship and cooperation still further," Hunt told Kurdistan 24.

Bilateral relations between the Kurdistan Region and the UK are "deeper and stronger than ever," he said.

Consul General Hunt made the remark on Thursday during a consulate event in Erbil to celebrate the 96th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II and her Platinum Jubilee, the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne. 

During his official visit to the UK, Prime Minister Barzani met with his British counterpart Boris Johnson and the country's senior ministers to discuss bilateral relations between Erbil and London. 

It was the prime minister's first official visit to the country since taking office in July 2019. 

The UK also supports the reform of the Kurdistan Region's Peshmerga to enable those forces to combat ISIS and other threats in the future, Hunt said. 

"Peshmerga is a highly effective fighting force," he said, adding that the reforms and cooperation will continue in the future. 

He also said that the UK supports the Kurdistan Parliament holding its next elections "on time." Those elections are scheduled to commence on Oct. 1. 

"It is a chance for you to establish the democratic credentials still further and show the way to others," Hunt said, underlining the importance of holding the elections without delay. 

Hunt also said that he would like to see "more British companies" in the Kurdistan Region, particularly in the education sector along with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). 

Barzani met with the UK education minister during his April visit. 

On Thursday, the Kurdistan Region's top officials and businesspeople attended the British monarch's birthday ceremony in Erbil.