ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - President Masoud Barzani, leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) on Sunday received European Union Ambassador to Iraq Klemens Semtner to discuss developments in the region, Iraq’s future and the situation in Syria, and Shingal (Sinjar), according to Barzani Headquarters.
In a statement following their meeting, President Barzani’s office said that Ambassador Semtner “emphasized that the stability of the Kurdistan Region and Iraq is always a priority for the European Union.”
“The EU Ambassador congratulated President Barzani on the 80th anniversary of the founding of the [Kurdistan Democratic] Party,” read the statement, adding that “He also expressed his condolences to the families of the victims of the drone and missile attacks on the Kurdistan Region over the past few months.”
The meeting was also attended by Stephan Wendt, the new head of the EU Office in Erbil, who assumed his new position on Sunday, and included discussions on the recent developments in Syria, the situation in Sinjar (Shingal), and the reasons for the non-implementation of the Sinjar Agreement.
The meeting comes as the EU seeks to deepen its engagement with the Kurdistan Region beyond its earlier humanitarian and security roles and comes as the US-led coalition, which includes countries in the EU such as France, Britain, and Germany, is set to depart and conclude its military mission in Iraq by September 30.
On Wednesday, the EU’s head of delegation in Erbil told Rudaw that the bloc now views the region as a partner for greater economic cooperation and long-term investment.
“Nowadays, we look at the Kurdistan Region of Iraq as a developed region and a partner with which we want to increase our economic cooperation,” former head of the EU liaison office in Erbil Radu Butum told Rudaw on Wednesday.
The EU has supported Iraq and the Kurdistan Region through humanitarian assistance, security cooperation and development projects, particularly since the emergence of Islamic State (ISIS) in 2014.
Sinjar, a predominantly Yazidi town and district located in the Nineveh Governorate of northwestern Iraq, is home to a Yazidi community numbering around 150,000, most of whom still reside in camps and temporary settlements.
The EU delegation to Iraq in August 2025 urged authorities in Baghdad and Erbil to implement the Sinjar Agreement, a UN-backed plan signed in October 2020, to facilitate the return of displaced Yazidis as well as justice and accountability for victims.
The agreement calls for federal authorities to oversee security operations in Sinjar in partnership with the KRG, with local authorities in Nineveh responsible for public services.
It also calls for the expulsion of unauthorized armed groups and militias from the district and the recruitment of 2,500 local security personnel to secure the area under state control.
In a separate meeting on Sunday, Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani also received Semtner and Wendt, according to a statement from the presidency.
Nechirvan Barzani expressed gratitude for the EU’s continued support, while Semtner reiterated the bloc’s commitment to cooperation with Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.
