PM Barzani’s UK visit was ‘incredibly positive’: Consul General Hunt

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani’s visit to London this month was “incredibly positive,” said the United Kingdom Consul General to Erbil David Hunt. 

“The visit last week was incredibly positive,” Hunt told Kurdistan 24 on Tuesday while hailing the discussions the Kurdish leader had with the British officials, describing them as “substantive” as they centered on shared ambitions to develop bilateral ties further. 

Hunt attended a number of the meetings between Prime Minister Barzani and British officials. 

“The UK’s relationship with the Kurdistan Region of Iraq has always been close,” he said. 

As part of its military assistance to the Kurdish Peshmerga, the UK is providing English language courses to Kurdish officers so they can communicate more effectively with their allies in the international coalition against ISIS, Hunt said. 

He also said that the UK and the Kurdistan Region have a “shared ambition” to strengthen ties, including security and commerce, since the UK’s commitment to the Kurdistan Region is a “long-term” one. 

Britain is part of the Peshmerga reform program supported by the coalition. The reforms aim to place separate Peshmerga units under one unified civilian command, Hunt told Kurdistan 24. 

Prime Minister Barzani arrived in the UK on Apr. 18, where he held numerous high-level meetings with the country’s senior officials, including his British counterpart Boris Johnson.