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Kurdistan
President Barzani meets with Britain's Minister for the Armed Forces James Heappey in Erbil on December 1, 2020. Photo: KRG Presidency
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — The Kurdistan Region hopes to “bolster relations” with Britain, President Nechirvan Barzani told a visiting delegation in Erbil on Tuesday.
James Cleverly, Minister of State for Middle East & North Africa in the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, and Minister for the Armed Forces James Heappey led a British delegation and met with President Barzani, Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, and Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani in Erbil.
The Kurdistan Region “wants to bolster its relations with Britain in all fields,” President Barzani told the delegation.
“The delegation also expressed the United Kingdom’s readiness to strengthening bilateral ties and enhancing cooperation with the Kurdistan Region in all areas, including trade and investment,” read a statement from PM Barzani’s office.
The two sides also discussed the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS), Erbil-Baghdad relations and the spread of coronavirus.
“The British delegation conveyed the British people’s respect and appreciation for the role and bravery of the Peshmerga forces in combatting terrorism in the region to protect those here and abroad,” added the statement from PM Barzani’s office.
The UK is a member of the global coalition against ISIS and has trained Peshmerga forces since 2014.
The British delegation also included Stephen Hickey, British Ambassador to Iraq.
The British officials were in Baghdad on Monday, meeting with top figures including PM Mustafa al-Kadhimi and President Barham Salih.
“The partnership between the UK and Iraq is historic and special,” Cleverly tweeted on Tuesday, saying “our longstanding relationship, the fight against Daesh (ISIS) and regional stability” were discussed with Salih.
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