Kurdish MPs visit Germany to improve relations

"Our goal is to improve economic relations with Germany and to establish relations with the Kurdish diaspora here."
The Kurdistan Parliament's Relations and Kurdish Diaspora Committee is currently on a visit to Germany (Photo: Chiya Sharif)
The Kurdistan Parliament's Relations and Kurdish Diaspora Committee is currently on a visit to Germany (Photo: Chiya Sharif)

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Kurdistan Parliament's Foreign Relations and Kurdish Diaspora Committee is visiting Germany to improve relations, a Kurdish MP told Kurdistan 24.

Chiya Sharif, a member of the committee, told Kurdistan 24 on Wednesday that the German-Kurdish Friendship Society invited the delegation.

They met with German parliament members, politicians, academics, and the German Kurdish community during their visit.

"Our goal is to improve economic, security and political relationship with Germany and to establish relations with the Kurdish diaspora here," he added.

Moreover, he said they want to improve ties between the Kurdish and German parliament and get more "support from German political parties."

"We also want to create a good lobby for the Kurds in Germany and see what the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) can do better."

Furthermore, Sharif said they discussed how Germany could support refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the Kurdistan Region.

The Kurdistan Region hosts over 930,000 refugees and IDPs. 

Read More: PM Barzani urges more aid for refugees in Kurdistan Region

On World Refugee Day, June 20, Prime Minister Masrour Barzani urged the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Region's partners to help Erbil meet the $1.5 billion it requires each year for assisting refugees and IDPs.

The Kurdish parliament committee on Thursday also met with Green MP Kassem Taher Saleh, a Kurd originally from Zakho. Saleh and another Green MP, Max Luck, visited the Kurdistan Region last month and strongly condemned the June 8 drone attack on its capital Erbil.

Read More: German parliamentary delegation strongly condemns drone attack on Erbil

"Thank you for the constructive dialogue," Saleh tweeted, adding that they discussed "the NATO membership of Finland and Sweden, the climate crisis in Iraq, the genocide against Ezidi's (Yezidi's), and the current situation in the region."

Moreover, the Kurdistan Parliament on Wednesday tweeted that the committee had a good meeting with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation think tank's Dr. Canan Atilgan and Simon Engelkes "on political developments in Kurdistan Region and Iraq, importance of Germany's engagement in the region."

Read More: Commander conveys gratitude to Germany for its continuous support of Peshmerga

Germany is part of the US-led coalition against ISIS and has supplied the Peshmerga with arms to aid its fight against the group. Berlin also supports multi-national efforts to unite and reform the Peshmerga forces.

A majority of the German parliament in January this year voted to extend the German army's mission in Iraq until October 2022.