Kurdistan's diplomatic relations

[Sinjar]

Iraqi Kurdistan Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani (L) and Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu smile on his arrival in Ankara, May 17, 2012. Photo: Getty Images


May 18, 2012

ISTANBUL, Turkey, — The prime minister of Iraq's Kurdistan autonomous region is visiting Turkey - his first trip there since taking office in March. The visit is expected to build on the growing rapprochement between Turkey and Iraq's Kurds. That process is being enhanced by deepening crises in Iraq and and mutual neighbor Syria.

Political analysts in Turkey see the visit by Iraqi Kurdish Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani as a sign of the growing importance of his Turkish neighbor.

Ankara has responded by laying out the red carpet with meetings with the Turkish president, prime minister and foreign minister.

Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Selcuk Unal says the Iraqi Kurds are seen as an important ally.

"The Iraqi Kurds are playing an international role legally and legitimately in all Iraqi politics and we are talking with them on many issues, the political situation in Iraq and in the region," he said.

Barzani's visit comes as tensions continue to rise between Iraqi Kurds and Sunnis and the country's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, a Shi'ite, over the distribution of power and control of resources.

Tensions have also risen between Turkey and Iraq's central government.

International relations expert Soli Ozel, a columnist for the Turkish newspaper Haberturk, says these current tensions with Baghdad are driving the warming relations between Ankara and the Iraqi Kurds.

"The fact that relations with Baghdad are rotten, it now transpires that the Kurds are the Turks' natural allies in Iraq," said Ozel. "They are our second export market,www.ekurd.net and people say if you include the informal trade, they may very well be the first export market. And their gas and oil is going to global markets via Turkey. Therefore, we have to discuss what the Iraqi Kurds do, with very different words and with a very different approach, and this is what happening."

The transformation in relations is a marked shift from the past. Only a few years ago, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Iraqi Kurdish regional President Massoud Barzani was a "bandit." The Turkish government believed the Iraqi Kurds were not doing enough to stop the Kurdish rebel group, the PKK, from operating from northern Iraq. The PKK is fighting the Turkish state for greater Kurdish rights.

Political observers say Ankara's greatest fear was that the Iraqi Kurds would declare an independent state, possibly inciting Turkey's own Kurdish minority to similar demands.

But former senior Turkish diplomat Sinan Ulgen says the recent visit of Iraqi Kurdistan's President Barzani shows this fear has eased.

"When Barzani came to Ankara a few weeks ago, he made reference to a possible independence of the Kurdish region if Maliki continues to operate in the authoritarian way that he is operating," said Ulgen. "Even that statement, which was unthinkable a couple of years ago for the Turkish policymakers not to react to, has not really led to any sort of reaction from Ankara. That shows how much [relations] have changed."

The conflict in Syria is also providing common ground between Iraqi Kurds and Turkey. Syrian Kurdish groups have been meeting in the Iraqi Kurdish region, and Ankara is lobbying the Iraqi Kurds to use their influence to persuade them to unite with the Syrian opposition against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

But international relations expert Ozel remains skeptical whether the Iraqi Kurds can deliver.

"With the Syrian Kurds, the ones who are more influential are not Barzani people, but the PKK," said Ozel. The thing is Turkey wants to subcontract too many things to Barzani, and I don't think it's going to wash."

The prime minister of Iraqi Kurdistan is expected to reject Turkey's calls to remove PKK bases from the region. But political observers say the Iraqi Kurdish visit to Turkey will emphasize the growing importance of the relationship and that both sides will be looking to build on what unites them - rather than what divides them.

Copyright ©, respective author or news agency, Voice of America | voanews.com

[alan131210]

"When Barzani came to Ankara a few weeks ago, he made reference to a possible independence of the Kurdish region if Maliki continues to operate in the authoritarian way that he is operating," said Ulgen. "Even that statement, which was unthinkable a couple of years ago for the Turkish policymakers not to react to, has not really led to any sort of reaction from Ankara. That shows how much [relations] have changed."

it is called playing your cards right , so you dont burn shish and the kebab together . lets await the completion of the oil pipelines and we shall see .

[Rando]

(Not sure if this is already posted somewhere else)

Ambassador of the Czech Republic makes first official visit to Kurdistan



Erbil, Kurdistan - Iraq (KRG.org) – The Czech Republic's Ambassador to Iraq, Mr Jozef Vrabec, conducted his first visit to the Kurdistan Region this week to meet with senior officials in the Kurdistan Region and discuss the further expansion of political and economic ties.

In a meeting with Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani, the Ambassador hailed the stable situation in Kurdistan, saying that this has made it a favorable destination for foreign companies to invest and conduct their business.

“Kurdistan is an island of peace and stability and it’s encouraging to see such an economic boom and so much development going on here,” said Ambassador Vrabec, adding that Kurdistan is more open, more peaceful and more business-friendly than many other places in the developing world and his country is keen to establish strong ties with Kurdistan.

He also added that the Czech Republic’s Industry and Trade Minister will head a large business delegation and visit the Kurdistan Region in June to explore areas of potential cooperation with the KRG.

President Barzani thanked the Czech Ambassador and his government for their interest in further strengthening ties with Kurdistan and said that the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is also eager to strengthen ties and welcomes cooperation and investment from the Czech Republic.

The President went on to discuss the latest political developments in Iraq, shedding light on the efforts that are under way to find a way out of the crisis that is currently facing the country.

Ambassador Vrabec also met with Minister Falah Mustafa, the Head of the KRG Department of Foreign Relations during his visit, where the minister expressed his hope that this visit will be the beginning of more engagement by the Czech Republic in the Region.

Both sides explored opportunities for maintaining and expanding relations between the Kurdistan Region and the Czech Republic in all fields, especially in investment, trade, education and culture.

Minister Mustafa said, “The Kurdistan Region is an exciting and safe place to explore opportunities. I hope that our relationship with the Czech Republic will go beyond exchanging visits, to working together in various fields such as culture, trade and education,” adding that now would be a good time for the Czech Republic to upgrade its Liaison Commercial Office in the Region to a full diplomatic post in order to better facilitate and support this increased coordination.

The Ambassador also met with the KRG Minister of the Interior, Mr Karim Sinjari, and the Minister of Electricity, Mr Yasin Mawati, as well as other senior officials of the KRG during his two day visit in order to obtain a better understanding of the opportunities in a number of specific sectors.

[alan131210]

28/05/2012

ERBIL, May 28 (AKnews) – A delegation from the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is expected to visit Erbil, the capital of Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region, on Tuesday to discuss and promote bilateral relations.

During the two-day visit, the Ukrainian delegation will be discussing with top Kurdish leaders how to build and develop political, cultural, economic and trade relations, according to Fathi Mohammed, an adviser to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG)’s Ministry of Trade and Industry.

At the head of the Ukrainian delegation is expected to be deputy Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

AKnews

[alan131210]

lets hope they sell us some good heavy weaponries .

[alan131210]

29/05/2012 13:45
 
ERBIL, May 29 (AKnews)- A high delegation from Moscow arrived today in Erbil at an official visit for strengthening ties with Kurdistan, an official said.

The delegation, led by Russian president's special representatives for the Middle East affairs landed today in Erbil for a one-day stay, said Abdul-Khaleq Mohammed, press secretary for Kurdistan Foreign Relations Office.

Mohammed said the delegation was received by Falah Mustafa Kurdistan foreign relations' chief, Russian ambassador and Russian consul general in Erbil .

He added deputy for Russian foreign minister also accompanies the delegation which is expected to meet among others with Kurdistan's President Massoud Barzani.

AKnews

[alan131210]

Russian Delegation to Kurdistan, Barzani officially invited to visit Moscow .

[alan131210]

30/05/2012

Erbil, May 30 (KRP) - The President of the Kurdistan region, Massoud Barzani, received an official invitation from the Russian Foreign Ministry to visit Moscow, according to the official site for the presidency.

The delegation of senior Russian officials , arrived yesterday to Arbil, the capital of Kurdistan on an official visit lasted one day, during which he met President of the Region, Massoud Barzani and senior officials in the region, with sources indicated that the visit came in the context of strengthening relations between Kurdistan and the Russian Federation.

The site says that "the Russian delegation who visited yesterday the region headed by Mikhail Bukdaton representative of the Russian president's special Middle East and the membership of the Deputy Russian Foreign Minister yesterday during a meeting with the President of the region, Massoud Barzani, an official invitation from the Russian foreign minister was handed in a letter to visit Moscow, which are arranged in the second half of this year. "

The Web site said Barzani accepted the invitation to visit the Russian Federation, "without referring to the date of the visit.

The Russian delegation during a meeting with Barzani about the "pursuit of his country's companies to cooperate with the region and to engage in investment market in terms of all fields especially in the fields of oil and gas, economy and trade."

KRP

[alan131210]

Erbil, May 30 / May (Rn) - The Department of Foreign Relations Kurdistan Regional Government, on Wednesday, met with Slovak Ambassador in Iraq to complete the preparations for the issue directly Honorary Consul of his country in the Kurdistan region, according to a statement published in the official website of the provincial government.

Falah Mustafa and Slovakia Ambassad said in a statement seen by the agency, Kurdistan News (aKnews), that "the Ambassador of Slovakia in Iraq Miloslav Nat has today visited the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Kurdistan Regional Government, in order to strengthen relations and to complete preparations for the direct Honorary Consul of his duties in the provincial capital, Irbil."

The statement quoted the Slovak ambassador as saying that "the process will begin directly with my country's honorary consul in the region , it is approved by the Kurdistan government and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal government" adding that "the consul would start work soon".

The Ambassador of Slovakia to the memorandum signed by Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, the month with the European Union, regarding the expansion of relations and cooperation between Iraq and the countries of the European Union, saying that "Slovakia is seeking to build strong relations with Iraq and the Kurdistan region, based on that note."

The official said the Department of Foreign Affairs Government of Kurdistan , Falah Mustafa, said that "by this step , Slovakia will be a strong factor for the development of relations between the two sides in all areas."

AKnews

[crazyhorse]

Current Israeli President Shimon Peres together with Kurds of Israel.

[brendar]

Parlament de Catalunya - Catalonian Parliament session 20/4-2012 on Kurdistan - Catalan language


Feel free to translate this video if you can understand Catalan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6v2C3BaBDs&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&hd=1   

[alan131210]

KRG.org 17:33:12 03 Jun. 2012

The Kurdistan Regional Government's Head of Foreign Relations on Wednesday received Slovakia's Ambassador to Iraq, Miloslav Nad, to discuss the upcoming establishment of a Slovakian representative in Erbil.

“The Government of the Republic of Slovakia is committed to further strengthen its relations with Kurdistan Regional Government,” said the Ambassador. He highlighted the development and progress being achieved in the Kurdistan Region in various fields, saying “Our government is in the process of opening an honorary consulate in Erbil very soon.”

Minister Mustafa welcomed the news, noting, “Opening a representation will allow you to discover more of Kurdistan and witness the vast opportunities for Slovakian investment and business that exists in Kurdistan.” He went on to highlight a variety of fields, especially agriculture and tourism.

The Ambassador also talked about the memorandum of understanding that was signed between the European Union and Iraq this month. “Iraq is taking a positive step toward establishing stronger political and economical relations with European Union, and we as a member of the European Union support such a memorandum,” he said.

Ambassador Nad also touched on the Syrian Kurdish refugees receiving shelter and assistance in a camp in Dohuk province, noting the Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) and UN’s assistance for the displaced people. The ambassador discussed a planned trip to see some clean water projects that the Slovakian Government is carrying out there.

The Slovakian Ambassador pointing out that the overall security situation in Iraq is getting better, and he was particularly impressed with the level of security that has been maintained in Kurdistan.

Both sides went on to talk about the importance of enhancing political, economic and cultural relations between Slovakia and Kurdistan Region, highlighting a number of specific projects such as a joint Kurdish, Slovakian the Czech Republic business partnership for electricity production in Kurdistan.

Source: KRG.org

[alan131210]

good news guys , anyone from kurdistan willing to visit france will get a visa from Erbil from now on , this is also a move followed by USA offering visa from Erbil to Kurdistani residents .

VIVA Kurdistan



http://www.awene.com

[alan131210]

Kurdistan foreign affairs office

[alan131210]

16/06/2012

Salahadin, Kurdistan Region of Iraq (krp.org)- President Masoud Barzani received a U.S. delegation today in Salahadin. The delegation was headed by Mr. Tony Blinken, National Security Adviser to Vice President Joe Biden, and included the U.S. Charge d'Affairs to Iraq. During the meeting President Barzani and Mr. Bliken discussed the latest developments and both made references to the importance of universal abidance to the Constitution.

President Barzani welcomed the delegation and expressed his interest in continuing to urge all sides to govern and work together in accordance with the Constitution. Mr. Blinken stated that the U.S.-Kurdistan Region relationship will continue in friendship, and grow even deeper with the passage of time. He further stated that the U.S. government opposes unwanted regional interference and supports the Constitution.

KRP