New Chinese Consul General emphasizes strengthening ties with Kurdistan Region

KRG Foreign Relations head congratulated Jun on his newly appointed position and wished him success.

Kurdistan 24 2023/10/04 21:44

Safeen Dizayee, the head of the Department of Foreign Relations of the KRG (right), during his meeting with Liu Jun, Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Erbil, Oct. 4, 2023. (Photo: KRG)

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Safeen Dizayee, the head of the Department of Foreign Relations of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), on Wednesday received Liu Jun, Consul General of the People’s Republic of China, in Erbil, according to a statement from the KRG.

KRG Foreign Relations head congratulated Jun on his newly appointed position and wished him success.

Dizayee reiterated that the KRG Foreign Relations Department is prepared to succeed in the region.

He also summarized the KRG's policies and views regarding promoting relations in many fields.

Moreover, the Chinese Consul General stressed that they are working to further strengthen their relations with the KRG in areas of mutual interest.

Additionally, the two sides discussed Erbil-Baghdad relations, the situation in the region, the ISIS threat, and climate change mitigation.

Today I welcomed Mr. Liu Jun, newly appointed Consul General of the People's Republic of #China in #KRI. We had an engaging discussion on current situation, bilateral ties and further enhancement. I wished him success and assured him of #DFR’s support for a successful tenure. pic.twitter.com/2M7JRYnsyw
— Safeen Dizayee (@SafeenDizayee) October 4, 2023

Beijing and Erbil share close economic ties. In Sept. 2022, a Chinese investor submitted a proposal for a $5 billion tourist city in Erbil. The 2,000 sqm project, dubbed Happy City, would create 8,000 jobs and include areas for tourism, residences, water, and entertainment.

In another example of Chinese investment in the Region, China Power Investment Corporation (also known as PowerChina) contracted with the Kurdish company Dabin Group to build a 6,000-ton capacity cement plant near Safin Mountain in Erbil Governorate.

The project, which provides 1,000 job opportunities during the construction phase and includes a 52-megawatt power plant, will be finished in two years, Kamaran Dosky, the plant’s chief executive officer, said in a speech. He added that the factory is “strategic” in the long term for the Kurdish region.