Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani receives US Consul Paul Stephens
Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani congratulated the U.S. Consul on his post, wishing him success in his new capacity.
U.S Consul Paul Stephens expressed his appreciation towards the warm welcome and greetings he has received from the Kurdistan Regional Government, and his joy in becoming the new US Consul in Irbil.
The Consul showed his reverence towards the Kurdish people, acknowledging the suffering and sacrifice the ethnic group has had to bear, and emphasized his keenness to serve the Kurdistan Region with all his capability as the representative of the United States of America.
The meeting focused on future arrangements of US Visas to be issued in Irbil by the end of 2012, and the assistance and aid the US Consulate General can provide in granting scholarships to Kurdish students for Universities in the United States of America.
The on-going political crisis in Iraq was also discussed in length; Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani reaffirming the Kurdistan Regional Government will act in accordance with the Iraqi Constitution.
Mr Paul Stephens, the incoming Consul General, is a career Foreign Service officer, with wide ranging experience in the Middle East and North Africa, as well as on key issues in the wider region.
