PM Barzani calls on Japan to assist the Kurdistan Region
Mr. Sonoura expressed the gratitude of his people and government to the Kurdistan Regional Government for standing beside Japan and condemning the murder of the Japanese hostage, Haruna Yukawa, last January by the Islamic State terrorist organisation, ISIS.
The Japanese Deputy Foreign Minister reiterated that his government will continue to provide humanitarian assistance to the internally displaced Iraqis and the Syrian refugees who fled ISIS repression and took refuge in the Kurdistan Region, particularly in the sectors of health, education and services.
He also pointed out that Japan has a number of projects which it plans to implement in the Kurdistan Region. Mr. Sonoura recalled the visit by an Iraqi delegation to Japan, which comprised a number of members of Iraqi Parliament, including Kurds, Sunni Arabs and Shia, where Japan promised that it would implement a series of service projects in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.
Prime Minister Barzani briefed the Japanese delegation about the situation in the Kurdistan Region and the war against ISIS, stating that the Peshmerga are continuously progressing and that ISIS is suffering great setbacks, as the Peshmerga Forces have been able to liberate a number of strategic positions.
Prime Minister Barzani also briefed the Japanese Deputy Foreign Minister and his delegation about the situation of over 1.4 million internally displaced Iraqis and the heavy burden this population represents for the Kurdistan Regional Government, at the moment when the Iraqi Federal Government does not provide the required aid.
The Prime Minister also stressed that the Kurdistan Region would appreciate to receive from Japan its expertise in the field of de-mining through the provisions of hardware and modern technology. This would have a significant impact on the war against terror.
