EU envoy to Iraq hails KRG reform process, reconstruction efforts

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The top European Union envoy to Iraq on Thursday praised the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG)’s reform process as well as the reconstruction efforts in a meeting with Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, according to a government statement.

Barzani received EU Ambassador to Iraq Ville Varjolla, head of EU Delegation to Syria Dan Stoenescu, and Anders Wiberg, the new Head of the EU Advisory Mission to Iraq, in Erbil, where they discussed the latest developments in Iraq and Syria as well as the EU-Kurdistan Region relations.

Expressing the Union’s readiness for cooperation with Kurdistan Region, Ambassador Varjolla praised the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG)’s ninth cabinet reform process as well as the reconstruction efforts, according to a statement from Barzani’s office.

Stoenescu expressed his gratitude for the KRG’s humanitarian assistance for the Syrian refugees in Kurdistan Region as well as for facilitating traffic between Iraq’s Kurdish region and northeast Syria, the statement added.

In turn, Barzani highlighted the “strong and friendly relations” between Kurdistan Region and the European Union member states, expressing Erbil's desire to further ties in all sectors with Europe.

The prime minister also reiterated his government’s support for holding Kurdistan parliament elections in the nearest time and all the preparations in that regard, the press release added.

Varjolla on Wednesday met with Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) President Masoud Barzani in Erbil, where he discussed bilateral ties between Erbil and Brussels.