Duhok, Germany’s Baden-Württemberg sign sisterhood agreement

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – A sisterhood agreement between the province of Duhok and the German state of Baden-Württemberg was signed on Thursday.

The agreement will last for five years before being reviewed for a potential renewal. After the signing of the agreement, both sides officially announced it at a press conference.

Among those present at the signing ceremony were Florian Hassler, State Secretary for Political Coordination and Europe in the State Ministry of Baden-Wurttemberg, and Klaus Streicher, the German Consul General in the Kurdistan Region, among the rest of a  German government delegation.

Duhok Governor Ali Tatar stated that Baden-Württemberg has maintained a continuous relationship with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and Duhok province since the ISIS attacks in 2014, particularly in providing humanitarian assistance to refugees in the province’s camps.

The governor added that the German government has assisted the KRG in rescuing Yazidi women from ISIS fighters.

Tatar noted that the signing of the agreement would pave the way for increased assistance by the Germans.

“Württemberg is not only providing assistance to refugees, but also to Duhok province, particularly in the areas of education, health, and other humanitarian assistance,” he said. 

Germany is home to a large Kurdish population, estimated to be at 1.5 million. A large portion of the ethnic group is concentrated in the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg. The state is also known as Germany’s industrial powerhouse, situating the headquarters of car manufacturers Mercedes-Benz and Porsche, in addition to the engineering firm Bosch that specializes in household appliances and power tools.