President Barzani receives Dutch Delegation

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (K24) – A senior delegation headed by the Netherlands Deputy Prime Minister (DPM), Lodewijk Asscher, arrived in Erbil on Saturday to meet the Kurdistan Region President, Masoud Barzani, and discuss military and diplomatic affairs.

President Barzani received the Dutch delegation consisting of the Dutch DPM Lodewijk Asscher, Minister of Defense, Jeanine Hennis, Netherlands Chief of Defense, General Tom Middendorp, Netherlands Ambassador to Baghdad, Jan Waltmans, and Erbil Consul General, John van der Zande, amongst other Dutch officials.

The two sides discussed the war against the Islamic State (IS), refugee and internally displaced persons (IDPs) residing in Kurdistan Region, and the future of Mosul after liberation.

Asscher acknowledged the effective role of the Peshmerga forces and stated that his country would continue to support Peshmerga forces in the fight against IS extremism. He also addressed the economic crisis that the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) faces because of hosting nearly two million refugees and IDPs. Asscher announced that the Netherlands will support KRG.

President of Kurdistan Region stressed the importance of the Netherlands assistance in the fight against IS. President Barzani stated that the coordination between the international U.S.-led coalition against IS and Peshmerga forces was “unique.” He praised the cooperation which is the key to ending the war against IS and protecting the civilian areas from collateral damage.

Barzani added that there must be an agreement about the future of Mosul after liberation. Both sides agreed that the fight against IS is not limited to the military action. The two sides agreed economic and ideological resistance are complementary to the military war against the extremist group. They also discussed Peshmerga forces’ military requirements at the end of the meeting.