German-Kurdish relations based on ‘trust, cooperation’, says envoy

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Iraq’s Kurdistan Region relations with Germany are based on “cooperation and trust,” a European country’s envoy to the Region said on Sunday, describing the ties as “historically close.”

Deputy German Consul General to Erbil Sven Mossler’s remarks for Kurdistan 24 came as part of the media’s special coverage on the fourth anniversary of the Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) Ninth Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Masrour Barzani.

“I believe we have a very close relationship historically. It is based on trust and cooperation,” Mossler told Kurdistan 24 on Sunday, highlighting several top meetings that had taken place recently between Berlin and Erbil officials.

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani has recently visited Berlin, where he met with Germany’s top officials, including Chancellor Olaf Scholz. In late March, Prime Minister Masrour Barzani received Germany’s Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs Annalena Baerbock in Erbil.

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The close ties between the two nations help both governments to address “certain issues of concern” related to democracy, freedom of the press, and civil society, Mossler said.

“In a partnership of trust and friendship, it is also important to address issues where we might not always agree on everything,” the German envoy added.

The diplomat underlined a number of areas of cooperation with the KRG's Ninth Cabinet as well as the projects they had undertaken over the past four years.

Berlin has been an integral part of the US-led coalition against ISIS since 2014, supporting the Kurdistan Region’s Peshmerga forces in various ways, including capacity building and military aid.

The European forces, along with their American and Dutch partners, have been advising the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs for its reform program, including unifying and modernizing the Kurdish forces.

President Barzani in January laid the foundation stone of a Franco-German cultural center on Erbil Citadel, which is expected to be inaugurated in 2024, the diplomat said.

“Between societies, I believe it is important that we have this kind of [cultural] exchange,” he said.

Germany has also been “active” in projects aimed to combat climate change, supporting vulnerable displaced populations, such as Yezidis, he said.

“Women empowerment has been one of the main areas of [our] work,” Mossler said.

ِAdditional reporting by Kurdistan 24 Erbil reporter Nawras Abdulla