Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq –(KRG.org) – The Head of the Department of Foreign Relations, Minister Falah Mustafa along with the Assistant Head of the DFR, Ms. Siham Jabali met today with both the outgoing Polish Consul, Mr. Roman Jerzy Chalaczkiewicz and his replacement, the new Head of the Consular Agency, Mr. Boguslaw Ochodek.

Minister Mustafa welcomed Mr. Ochodek to Kurdistan and said, ‘On behalf of the KRG, I am pleased to welcome you to Kurdistan and we congratulate you on your new post. We wish you all the success in your mission here and you can count on us to support you wherever we can.’

Mr. Ochodek served as the Polish Government’s Representative to the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah prior to his appointment in his new post as Consul of the Embassy Consular Office of the Republic of Poland in the Kurdistan Region.

Minister Mustafa discussed KRG relations with Baghdad and the toll it has taken on the stability of the region. He went on to brief them on the ongoing process of government formation in Kurdistan, adding that it is natural that the establishment of a broad based government is taking longer than expected, given that democracy in Kurdistan is still in its infancy.

Minister Mustafa thanked Mr. Chalaczkiewicz for his work in establishing relations between both sides, particularly in his role as the first Polish diplomat stationed in Kurdistan and said, ‘we hope to see these relations continue on the same level of cooperation politically, economically, educationally, and culturally.’

He went on to highlight to the visiting delegation that through the presence of a KRG Representation in Poland and the Polish Consular Agency in Kurdistan, can only help further consolidate bilateral relations. Mr. Ochodek assured Minister Mustafa that he would continue the work that his predecessor has begun and work towards further solidifying mutual relations.