PM Barzani’s visit to London ‘transformed’ UK-KRI ties, says envoy

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The official visit of Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani to the United Kingdom in April “transformed” the Erbil-London bilateral ties, the outgoing British envoy to the Kurdish region, told the premier on Sunday.

Barzani received the outgoing Consul General David Hunt in Erbil, where they discussed bilateral relations.

The premier thanked the British envoy who had worked to foster ties between the UK and the Kurdish region, wishing him success in his future endeavor, a statement from Barzani’s office read.

Hunt highlighted the “strong” relations between the two sides, particularly following Barzani’s visit to the UK in April.

The visit “transformed” the development of UK-KRI relations, Hunt said, thanking the relevant Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) authorities for their cooperation with his mission.

The officials also discussed the ongoing KRG reform, the importance of resolving the outstanding issues between Erbil and Baghdad as well as protecting the sovereignty and security of Iraq and its Kurdish region.

In his visit to London, Barzani met with then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson and a number of top officials from the former premier’s cabinet members.

Launching the KRG Digital Transformation Strategy in October, Barzani expressed his gratitude for the support of the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office as well as the British Consul General in Erbil David Hunt for their support in devising the Strategy.