Kurdistan Region, Iraq (DFR.krg.org) – Australia’s Charge d'Affaires to Iraq, Mr David Livingstone,on Thursday met with the Head of KRG Department of Foreign Relations, Minister Falah Mustafa, to provide an update on their efforts to strengthen ties with the Kurdistan Region.

Following up on a visit by the Australian Ambassador to Iraq, Ms Lyndall Sachs, in September 2011, Mr Livingstone said that he was very pleased to be in Kurdistan to witness the progress being made here.
Mr Livingstone said that the political maturity in Kurdistan is making it a clear example for the rest of the country and for the greater Middle East. “I want to congratulate your leadership for the ongoing development of this region, and commend the positive role you continue to play in Baghdad,” he said.
Mr Livingstone also reiterated Ambassador Sachs’ pledge for more engagement with the KRG, saying that the Ambassador is very supportive of increasing relations with Kurdistan and that she has conveyed this message to the Australian government in Canberra.
Minister Mustafa welcomed this news and briefed Mr Livingstone on the increasing number of permanent diplomats being posted in Erbil and said, “The Australia played a key role in the coalition which led to the overthrow of the former regime, and it is time for Australia to join the other diplomatic representations here in Erbil.”
Noting the significant and sustained economic progress of the Region over the past several years, Minister Falah Mustafa said, “Your presence here would allow you to take advantage of the many rich opportunities that exist here, and it would provide a direct vantage point for following the political developments in the Region.”
Both sides discussed areas of potential cooperation and mechanisms to translate the desire on both sides into practical steps, and they also discussed the political developments unfolding in Iraq and the disagreements between Erbil and the Federal Government in Baghdad with the Minister observing that political agreements must be honoured and the principles of partnership and power-sharing must be adhered to if the political system is to survive in Iraq.’
The meeting was also attended by the Deputy Head of the KRG Department of Foreign Relations, Mr Karwan Jamal Tahir.