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Kurdistan Regional Government
Representation in the United States
Washington D.C.
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Welcome to our November 2021 Newsletter
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Earlier this month, Prime Minister Masrour Barzani met with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin at the Manama Dialogue, the annual conference in Bahrain. The meeting came at an important time as the fight against ISIS continues in Iraq and Syria, and Kurdistan faces other simmering security challenges. Prime Minister Barzani thanked America for its continued support and Secretary Austin expressed appreciation for the Peshmerga’s critical contribution to the fight against ISIS.
The Prime Minister also met Brett McGurk, the Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa at the US National Security Council, at the Manama Dialogue where they discussed Iraq’s recent elections and more ways Washington can help to improve Erbil-Baghdad relations.
We welcome these meetings and hope to see more visits and exchanges by high officials.
Ceremony to honor fallen soldiers
I was honored to take part in a moving ceremony in Erbil on November 21 to pay respect to the fallen Peshmerga and American soldiers killed in Iraq. The ceremony was organized by the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs and attended by several families of fallen Kurdish and American soldiers. US Consul General Robert Palladino delivered a speech in which he said, ‘Your courageous family members, who made the ultimate sacrifice for their countries, did not do so in vain.’ Bonnie Carroll, President of the NGO Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, also spoke at the ceremony and laid a wreath in memory of the lives lost.
Iraq election results
Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) has just announced the final results of the October elections. Serious discussions on the formation of the next cabinet should begin soon, although Iraq has a record of lengthy delays before a new government is announced.
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In the aftermath of the early and unconfirmed results, which shocked some of the parties that lost seats, there were threats of violence against IHEC and others. Iraq’s Prime Minister Mustafa Kadhimi faced an assassination attempt on November 7. Several of his guards were injured in the attack that was met with condemnation by Kurdish and Arab leaders as well as the United States and other countries.
It is hoped that the crisis is now over, and Iraq can move forward towards forming a government that delivers services to the people, promotes equity and remains committed to the Iraqi constitution.
Attacks by ISIS
One of the critical issues that the new government will have to tackle is the ongoing threat from ISIS terrorists who continue to launch attacks against the peshmerga in the disputed territories. The KRG has been calling for joint patrols, between the peshmerga and Iraqi security forces, so that ISIS can be eliminated. Joint coordination centers have been established but work on the ground remains disjointed and is costing lives.
Migration
Sadly, migrants from the Kurdistan Region have suffered at the hands of human-traffickers, smugglers and a political standoff between European countries. Several thousand migrants from various countries, including Kurdistan Region, have been stranded on the Belarus border with Poland as part of a wider political dispute. The KRG has organized flights for those who wish to return to Kurdistan and Prime Minister Barzani has spoken with European leaders to try to resolve the crisis.
More than 25 migrants, most of them believed to be from Kurdistan Region, drowned in the English Channel after their boat capsized last week. The tragedy has sparked an angry debate between Britain and France and shock and bereavement for families in Kurdistan. The KRG has announced that it will investigate the causes of migration.
Slemani celebrates 237th anniversary
On a less somber note, Slemani celebrated its 237th anniversary this month since its founding in 1784. The city, famous for its patriots, poets and painters, has been recognized by the KRG as Kurdistan’s capital of culture and has been designated by UNESCO as a creative city of literature. Slemani is also a hub for trade and industry.
Bayan Sami Abdul Rahman
Representative to the United States
Kurdistan Regional Government
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Prime Minister Barzani and Senator Van Hollen discuss US-Kurdistan relations
Prime Minister Masrour Barzani thanked US Senator Chris Van Hollen in an online meeting on Tuesday for co-sponsoring a resolution commemorating Operation.
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KRG envoy Abdul Rahman meets with NSC Middle East director Leaf
Representative Bayan Sami Abdul Rahman met with Barbara A. Leaf, the US National Security Council Senior Director for the Middle East and North Africa...
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Kurdistan in America Podcast
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The Kurdistan in America podcast is honored to have Ms. Karen Young as its guest this month.
Ms. Young is a senior fellow and founding director of the Program on Economics and Energy at the Washington DC-based think tank, the Middle East Institute. Previously, she was a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, focusing on the political economy of the Middle East and the Gulf Cooperation Council.
She shares her experience about her recent visit to the Kurdistan Region to participate in the American University of Kurdistan's Middle East Peace and Security Forum, provides her take on the KRG's economic reforms and energy sector, and discusses her role at the Middle East Institute.
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The Kurdistan in America podcast is honored to have Senator Chris Van Hollen as its guest in this special bonus edition.
Senator Van Hollen, who has a long record of public service in the US Congress, has co-sponsored S.Con.Res.16 with Senator Marco Rubio. The bipartisan resolution commemorates the anniversary of Operation Provide Comfort, the humanitarian-military mission that averted catastrophe after hundreds of thousands of Kurds fled Saddam Hussein's forces in 1991. The US, Britain, and France launched the operation that saved countless lives.
The KRG Representation calls on the Kurdish-American community to reach out to their members of Congress to ask them to support the resolution in both the House and the Senate.
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Barzani's Speech on Gender Equality and Empowering Women
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani participated in the inauguration of the conference on "Gender Equality and the Strategy of Empowering Women in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq" in Erbil on...
Read more
presidency.gov.krd
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Barzani: Iraqi identity needs to be unifying and inclusive
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani took part in the Middle East Peace and Security Forum on Tuesday, which was arranged by the American University of Kurdistan in Dohuk. At the forum, attended...
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presidency.gov.krd
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Kurdistan Region President and Iraq's President Meet
President Nechirvan Barzani received Dr. Barham Salih, the President of the Republic of Iraq, on Wednesday. Discussions focused on the situation in Iraq, the outcome of the parliamentary elections,...
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presidency.gov.krd
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Pres. Barzani and Ammar al-Hakim discuss Iraq’s developments
President Nechirvan Barzani received Mr. Ammar al-Hakim, the Leader of Iraq's National Wisdom Movement on Wednesday. Discussions covered a wide range of issues including the developments in Iraq, the...
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presidency.gov.krd
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PM Masrour Barzani meets US Secretary of Defense
Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Saturday met Lloyd Austin, US Secretary of Defense. PM Barzani thanked the US for its continued support, emphasising the importance of solving issues...
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gov.krd
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PM Masrour Barzani meets Brett McGurk
Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Saturday met White House Coordinator for Middle East and North Africa affairs, Brett McGurk. Both sides discussed the latest regional developments and ...
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gov.krd
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PM Masrour Barzani meets Commander of Coalition forces
Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Wednesday met Major General John Brennan, Commander of Coalition Forces in Iraq and Syria. They discussed the latest developments in Iraq and Syria...
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gov.krd
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PM Masrour Barzani meets new head of UNITAD
Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Wednesday met Christian Ritscher, new head of the UN Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da'esh (UNITAD). Prime...
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gov.krd
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PM Barzani meets Bahrain's Crown Prince and Prime Minister
Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Saturday met Bahrain's Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa. They discussed developments in Iraq and growing ties...
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gov.krd
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PM tells students to cooperate with KRG to improve education
Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Saturday met students from public universities in the Kurdistan Region to listen to their demands. He later visited a number of university dormitories ...
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gov.krd
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Statement by DPM Qubad Talabani on ISIS terrorist attack
"Today, we mourn the death of five brave Peshmerga soldiers who were killed in an ambush by cowardly ISIS terrorists near the border of Kolajo. Our prayers go to the families of our...
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gov.krd
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DPM Talabani chairs meeting on efficient Government spending
Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani today held a meeting with the Efficient Government Spending Committee in Sulaymaniyah to discuss efforts to reduce wasteful governing spending and...
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gov.krd
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Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani holds roundtable
Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani today met with the Sulaymaniyah General Directorate for Investment to discuss efforts to transform the Kurdistan Region into a preferred...
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gov.krd
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Speaker Faiq on Elimination of Violence against Women
On the International Day For the Elimination of Violence against Women, 25 November, and on the 16th national campaign to combat violence against women, once again we take a stand, with the aim of changing individuals' and...
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www.parliament.krd
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Speaker Faiq speaks at MEPS Forum 2021
Kurdistan Parliament Speaker Dr. Rewaz Faiq on 16 November 2021 spoke at the Middle East Peace and Security Forum (MEPS), a major conference at the American University of Kurdistan-Duhok,. In a panel on the future of Iraq after the recent...
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www.parliament.krd
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Prime Minister Barzani speaks at the Middle East Peace and Security Forum
Prime Minister Masrour Barzani spoke at length to Guardian journalist Martin Chulov at the Middle East Peace and Security (MEPS) Forum at the American University of Kurdistan in Duhok. Asked about several pressing issues, the Prime Minister shared his views on the migrant crisis, the economy, Kurdistan’s relations with Baghdad, Syria, Iran and the United States, and the impact of climate change on the region.
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Aziz Ahmed, Deputy Chief of Staff to PM Barzani, speaks at MEPS Forum
Aziz Ahmed, Deputy Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, shed light on the KRG's ongoing economic reforms at the Middle East Peace and Security Forum at the American University of Kurdistan earlier this month. The conference was attended by the leadership of the Kurdistan Region as well as well as political leaders from other parts of Iraq, international and local academics and officials.
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Readout of Secretary of Defense Austin's Meeting with KRG PM
Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby provided the following readout: Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III met on November 20 with Prime Minister Masrour Barzani of Iraq's Kurdistan Regional Government in Manama, Bahrain, during the annual...
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www.defense.gov
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French singer hopes to perform again in Kurdistan
French singer and hurdy-gurdy player Éléonore Fourniau, who is not ethnically Kurdish but sings in Kurdish, for the first time visited the Kurdistan Region last...
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Barzani offers condolences to families of Peshmerga killed in ISIS attack
President Masoud Barzani, leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) on Sunday extended his condolences to the families of five Peshmerga fighters...
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Duhok International Film Festival showcases Afghan films
The 8th Duhok International Film Festival has reached its final day, after a week of showcasing a total of 93 local and international films in the Kurdistan...
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Kurdish banker wins regional award for second time
Hamila Gardi, CEO of Erbil-based Regional Trade Bank (RT Bank), received the Fakhr Al Arab award in Dubai last year for her work in improving economic..
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Kurdish boy with amputated legs among migrants stuck at border
A nine-year old Kurdish boy who has had both legs amputated is among the thousands of migrants stranded in freezing conditions on the Belarusian...
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Kurdish-Celtic ballet dancer finds inspiration in her ancient heritage
Leila Lois, 31, is a woman of Kurdish and Celtic heritage who is a passionate dancer, dance educator, and poet based in Australia.
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Sulaimani province leading in number of investment projects
Sulaimani province has had the largest number of investment projects in the Kurdistan Region in 2021, the province’s governor told Rudaw as the city marked...
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UNAMI Chief praises 'pioneering role' of female politicians in Kurdistan
The pioneering role of Kurdistan Region's female politicians have "long led" Iraq's quality and quantity of female political participation, Jeanine...
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Iraqi Kurdistan wants to address ‘root causes’ of migrant flow
The government of Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region, the source of hundreds of the migrants stuck at the Polish-Belarus border, said Wednesday it...
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PM Masrour Barzani speaks with Sky News on his administration's agenda
Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani spoke candidly on various topics relating to his premiership and the situation in the Kurdistan Region...
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Former US Amb. Robert Ford talks to Kurdistan24 about Syria, Peshmerga
Former United States Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford spoke on Wednesday in an interview with Kurdistan 24 about US policy in Syria and also said he...
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Peshmerga repels ISIS attack in Garmiyan area
The Kurdistan Region’s Peshmerga forces repelled an Islamic State (ISIS) attack in the Garmiyan area overnight Sunday, a mere day after five...
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US, KRG envoys honor sacrifices of US, Kurdish forces; hail friendship between two peoples
A moving memorial ceremony was held in Erbil on Sunday to honor the common sacrifices of American and Kurdish...
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Peshmerga forces receive armored vehicles from anti-ISIS coalition
US Col. Jeffrey Todd Burroughs, an official from the US-led Coalition to Defeat ISIS, confirmed to Kurdistan 24 on Tuesday reports that the Kurdistan...
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For inquiries, please contact Delovan Barwari, the Director of Public and Humanitarian Affairs, at: delovan.barwari@us.gov.krd
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