"A Historic Step Forward": Christian Alliance Hails PM Barzani's U.S. Visit
Describing the visit as a "strategic and vital step," the Alliance emphasized its significance for deepening relations between the Kurdistan Region, Iraq, and the United States.
By Kamaran Aziz
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The Christian Alliance, an umbrella group comprising political parties and civic organizations representing Iraq's Christian communities, issued a public statement on Saturday expressing strong support for the ongoing official visit of Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani to the United States.
Describing the visit as a "strategic and vital step," the Alliance emphasized its significance for deepening relations between the Kurdistan Region, Iraq, and the United States. The statement highlighted that this engagement is anchored in mutual interests, economic development, reciprocal respect, and the defense of fundamental human values such as freedom, pluralism, human rights, and, notably, the rights of components and ethno-religious components.
The Alliance expressed particular appreciation for the outcomes of the visit, especially the high-level meetings conducted with senior U.S. officials and the signing of strategic agreements in the energy sector. These developments, the Alliance noted, are expected to foster sustainable economic growth and generate employment opportunities for diverse communities across Kurdistan and Iraq.
"We also highly value the Prime Minister’s commitment to presenting the Kurdistan Region’s experience in economic development, peaceful coexistence, and religious and ethnic pluralism," the statement read. It added that Prime Minister Barzani's emphasis on maintaining international support for Kurdistan's pluralistic model, particularly during his meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, underscores the importance of ongoing coordination to safeguard ethnic and religious components' rights in both Iraq and Syria.
The Christian Alliance extended its heartfelt gratitude to the U.S. government and its people for their continued backing of the Kurdistan Region and Iraq. The statement specifically praised America's enduring support for stability, pluralism, and ethnic and religious components' rights in the region.
Concluding the statement, the Alliance asserted that the visit's practical achievements reaffirm the Kurdistan Regional Government's strategic direction under the leadership of Prime Minister Masrour Barzani. The KRG, it said, is steadfast in its pursuit of development, international engagement, and the reinforcement of Kurdistan's and Iraq's standing on the national, regional, and global stage.
The Christian Alliance consists of:
- Chaldean Democratic Union Party
- Chaldean National Congress Party
- Syriac Assembly Movement
- Chaldean International League
- Administrative Board of the Armenian Orthodox Community
- Armenian Association
- Shlama Trend for Christian Affairs
