We are proud that Kurdistan has become an oasis of stability and coexistence: PM Barzani
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Friday hosted a number of ambassadors, consuls, envoys and diplomats of countries in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region for a special dinner on the occasion of the upcoming Christmas and New Year holidays.
We close 2023 with uncertainty: the region is in conflict and exposed to the effects of climate change, and Erbil-Baghdad disputes risk goodwill between us.
— Masrour Barzani (@masrourbarzani) December 7, 2023
We can do better.
We enter 2024 with high hopes for dialogue, emission cuts and improved quality of life for Kurdistanis. pic.twitter.com/KMBc8ZTXWy
On Friday, Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani hosted several diplomats in anticipation of the Christmas and New Year's holidays.
In his speech, the Prime Minister discussed the current tensions in the Middle East, the Kurdistan Region's position on the events, its efforts to resolve the issues between Erbil and Baghdad with the Iraqi Prime Minister and the challenges of climate change and its impact on people.
"This year has been a very difficult year for many of us. We had many security and environmental challenges. The wars and conflicts after October 7 were devastating," he said.
"We have expressed our concern about the deaths of innocent civilians. We are still concerned that civilians are still being killed and we are concerned about the expansion of conflicts in the region. We hope to find a peaceful solution to this problem, just as we believe that war is never a long-term solution to any problem. There is no real winner in any war, only different levels of damage between the parties to the conflict."
"I think there is a lesson to be learned from this war. That is, conflicts can be resolved before they escalate into military confrontation," he added. "We have the same situation here. I hope we can find a solution to all the outstanding issues.," PM Barzani added. "We will do our best to find a peaceful and lasting solution."
Moreover, PM Masrour Barzani added that this year was also a difficult year from an environmental point of view, we faced climate change and the problems we see in the world.
"I was in the UAE a few days ago and attended COP28," he said. "Many speeches were made on how to solve this problem. A few days ago I read someone say, "No wonder we spend trillions of dollars looking for life outside space and on another planet, but we destroy life on the planet we live on now?" There may be excessive spending, but it is clear that we are actually destroying our planet. I hope we can find a real solution to the problems together."
Moreove, PM Masrrour Barzani underlined that the Kurdistan Region has tried to accommodate everyone, including people from different backgrounds, nationalities and religions. "We are very proud that Kurdistan has become an island of stability and coexistence."
He also underlined that Erbil is "trying to resolve our problems with Baghdad. We had several meetings and I spoke to the prime minister several times in Baghdad."
"We are trying to find a way to solve some of these problems, especially the budget problem, which people have been suffering from for months. I hope this problem is resolved next year. We are trying to address all the security problems in the region."
"We thank all of you for your support in the fight against extremism and ISIS. To prevent the resurgence of extremism and the return of groups such as ISIS, we need to promote democracy, justice and equality. I ask you all to help us have a better year in Merry Christmas and Happy New Year again."