President Nechirvan Barzani reiterates gratitude for Dutch support to Kurdistan

"President Nechirvan Barzani reiterated the gratitude of the Kurdistan Region to the Netherlands for its continuous support to the Kurdistan Region during the war against ISIS."
President Nechirvan Barzani received on Sunday in Erbil the Consul General of the Netherlands to the Kurdistan Region, Jaco Beerends, Dec. 3, 2022 (Photo: Presidency of the Kurdistan Region - Iraq)
President Nechirvan Barzani received on Sunday in Erbil the Consul General of the Netherlands to the Kurdistan Region, Jaco Beerends, Dec. 3, 2022 (Photo: Presidency of the Kurdistan Region - Iraq)

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Sunday in a meeting with the Dutch Consul General Jaco Beerends reiterated the gratitude of the Kurdistan Region to the Netherlands for its continuous support to the Kurdistan Region during the war against ISIS.

 

During the meeting both sides “emphasized their mutual willingness to develop bilateral relations in all areas, especially in the field of agriculture.”

The Netherlands supports the Kurdistan Region in the field of agriculture, business development, and in the fight against ISIS. The Netherlands is also one of the countries that supports Peshmerga reform in the Kurdistan Region.

Read More: Dutch-Kurdish cooperation is excellent: Dutch Consul General

“This partnership goes along many different parallel ways. It's not only about economics, it's not only about military cooperation,” Beerends told Kurdistan 24 on Nov. 30. 

He also said there is a relationship due to the fact there is a large Kurdish community in the Netherlands, and Kurds from the Netherlands who returned to the Kurdistan Region.

“Many Kurdish people fled to the Netherlands and we are now I think more in a phase where we cooperate also business wise in a way that is mutually beneficial to both the KRI (Kurdistan Region) and the Netherland,” he added.

On Nov. 29, the Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren visited the Kurdistan Region and met with PM Masrour Barzani and reiterated her support in an interview with Kurdistan 24 for the stability in Kurdistan.

Read More: Kurdistan Region’s stability remains important for the Netherlands: Defense Minister

She was the third Dutch Minister to visit the Kurdistan Region this year.

The Dutch currently have around 120 to 130 Dutch soldiers in Erbil. However, the Dutch are planning to end their force protection mission in the Erbil airport by May.

Nevertheless, Dutch soldiers will continue to advise and assist the Peshmerga forces.