Iraq’s political sides to meet in Erbil Later this Month
The President met with ambassadors of several European Union countries to Iraq for consultation on the current political crisis facing the country and efforts to finds a resolution. Ambassadors of UK, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, Spain, Slovakia, and representatives from France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Greece were part of the visiting delegation.
Heading the delegation, EU Ambassador to Iraq Jana Hybaskova said that at the request of the EU, she and her colleagues are in Kurdistan to hear President Barzani’s views on the current political crisis in Iraq and to explore ways to find a way out of this crisis. She expressed deep EU concern over the problems facing Iraq and added that EU will meet next week in Brussels to discuss the Iraq crisis.
Ambassador Hybaskova stated that the EU urges all sides to resort to genuine talks to find a lasting resolution, and to this end the EU is ready to play a role to help Iraqis overcome the current difficulties.
President Barzani said the political process in Iraq is facing a real crisis that needs urgent attention and a comprehensive resolution. He attributed the current crisis and other outstanding problems of Iraq to lack of adherence to the Iraqi Constitution.
President Barzani added that as an effort to end the current political crisis and at the request of other Iraqi sides, a meeting of Iraq’s political forces will be convened in Erbil later this month.
On the upcoming elections in Iraq, the President said that the Kurdistan Region is for free and fair elections but before the upcoming elections there is a need for an accurate census in Iraq. He said the EU can help Iraq with the conducting of such a census.
President Barzani and EU ambassadors also discussed the situation in Syria and the more than 75,000 Syrian refugees who are now in Kurdistan.
