British FM congratulates President Barzani on Nawroz

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – The British Foreign Minister on Sunday wrote a letter to the President of the Kurdistan Region congratulating him on the Kurdish New Year (Nawroz).

In an official letter, UK Secretary of State Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Boris Johnson sent his “best wishes” to the President of the Kurdistan Region Masoud Barzani.

“Please accept my best wishes to you, your family, and the people of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq on the occasion of Nawroz,” Johnson wrote.

The FM, who is also a Member of Parliament, pointed to the efforts of the Kurdish Peshmerga battling the Islamic State (IS).

“The last year has seen the Kurdish people show immense courage in their fight to defeat [IS],” Johnson stated.

Moreover, the British politician applauded the people of the Kurdistan Region for their “generous hospitality in hosting considerable numbers of Internally Displaced Persons.”

Since the emergence of IS in 2014, nearly 1.8 million refugees and displaced peoples from parts of Iraq and Syria have sought protection in the Region.

Johnson added he looked “forward to strengthening relations between the UK and the Kurdistan Region.”

In January 2015, Johnson visited Erbil, the capital of the Region, to meet British soldiers training Peshmerga forces.

“Over the last decade, [the] Kurdistan Region has seen considerable economic growth and social development, and I’m here to mark London’s role as an active ally in this,” he previously said.

Nawroz (or “New Day”) is celebrated annually worldwide to signal the beginning of Spring in the Northern Hemisphere.

Kurds usually mark the celebration by lighting large bonfires along with singing and dancing.