ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Following a visit to the US, Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani began a tour of Europe, where some officials have expressed initial support for a free Kurdistan.
“The Kurdistan region has all the qualities and basic criteria to declare independence and can become an effective world country," said Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán after a meeting with Barzani Monday.
Other officials have also chimed in, but warned any move towards independence must be done peacefully and constitutionally.
“We see the Kurdistan region as a stable area in the region compared to other places,” said Atis Sjanits, the Latvian Ambassador to Iraq, Turkey and Iran, in an interview with Rudaw. “The first step should be taken to eliminate ISIS, and the second step should be managing the process in a legal way.”
He added though that most European officials desire a united Iraq. “Although, the European officials on the media are saying Iraq should not be divided, they are still discussing the independence subject with the Kurdish leaders,” he said.
However, Czech diplomat Jana Hybaskova, the EU ambassador to Iraq, said an independent Kurdistan was possible if done in a proper manner.
“I know what the legal steps are for the declaration of independence,” she said. “For Kurds, the process has to start with the referendum to solve the problem of the disputed areas.”
“The only way the referendum could be successful is if it is through the constitution without violence,” Hybaskova added in comments to Rudaw.
