Our partnership with KRG includes commercial and cultural linkages: U.S. State Dept
Meanwhile, the KRG Representation office in the U.S. posted on X that “the Minister discussed the challenges facing religious & ethnic components in Iraq, measures taken by @Kurdistan to safeguard their rights, and other matters.”
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Minister for Transport and Communication Ano Abdoka, on Monday met with Steve Bitner, Director of the Iraq Office at the U.S. State Department’s Near Eastern Affairs, in Washington.
“Our partnership with the Kurdistan Regional Government includes important commercial and cultural linkages. Earlier today, Director of Iraq Affairs Steve Bitner discussed these and other areas of mutual interest with KRG Minister for Transport and Communication @AnoAbdoka,” the Near Eastern Affairs account posted on X.
Our partnership with the Kurdistan Regional Government includes important commercial and cultural linkages. Earlier today, Director of Iraq Affairs Steve Bitner discussed these and other areas of mutual interest with KRG Minister for Transport and Communication @AnoAbdoka. pic.twitter.com/6P07EI63A0
— U.S. State Dept - Near Eastern Affairs (@StateDept_NEA) February 2, 2024
Meanwhile, the KRG Representation office in the U.S. posted on X that “the Minister discussed the challenges facing religious & ethnic components in Iraq, measures taken by @Kurdistan to safeguard their rights, and other matters.”
Minister @AnoAbdoka enjoyed meeting Steve Bitner, Director of the Iraq Office at @StateDept_NEA. The Minister discussed the challenges facing religious & ethnic components in Iraq, measures taken by @Kurdistan to safeguard their rights, and other matters. pic.twitter.com/0TeHtoz6BA
— KRG-USA (@KRG_USA) February 4, 2024
Following the rise of ISIS in 2014, thousands of Christians fled to the Kurdistan Region, where they sought sanctuary in multi-ethnic and Christian-majority towns. The Christian population in the KRG is estimated to be about 60,000 residents.
Religious leaders of the community on several occasions have praised the government’s efforts to protect Christians, whose numbers have been shrinking in Iraq since 2003 due to persecution and terrorism.
Earlier on Feb. 1, 2023, Sam Brownback, Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, in an interview with Kurdistan24praised the peaceful coexistence in the Kurdistan Region and noted that “people of different views and religions can coexist and thrive together.”