ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Hungarian President Katalin Novak on Saturday attended the official opening of a Hungary-funded international school in Kurdistan Region’s capital city of Erbil.
Novak arrived in Erbil on Friday after meeting with Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid in Baghdad. She visited Nineveh province and later held a meeting with Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani.
Meltho International School, which was built in the last two years and started registering students from KG1 to fifth grade this year, was officially opened on Saturday. The Hungarian president attended the ceremony. Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani accompanied her.
Hungary paid $4.5 million for the building of the school and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has dedicated a 10,000-square-meter land for it in Ainkawa district.
"[O]ur school was given a name that honors its Syriac heritage and history: ‘Meltho,’ a Syriac word that means ‘the word’ in English, according to the school’s website.
Mor Nicodemos Daoud Matti Sharaf, who supervises the school, told Rudaw’s Payam Sarbast on Friday they want their children to study “proudly.”
“We are searching for the future of our children. We want our children to study proudly and with high quality. They [Hungary] told us that they can help us with the establishment of a school if we want our children to study,” he said.
Students also thanked Hungary for funding the school.
Speaking during the opening ceremony, Novak said that her country is not the richest or most influential one in the world “but we want to help and when help is needed, We Hungarians are there.”
“Hungarians are a nation of doers. You know us because we are here to support you and we are here to support your communities," Novak said. “We condemn violence, we condemn terrorism. Our common enemy is international terrorism - that’s what our soldier also fight for here in Iraq.
Novak also said that “the reason why we came here today is not just because I wanted to see the members of the Hungarian troops who pay their service here in order to fight international terrorism but also because wanted to meet you and I wanted to see on the spot what Hungary[‘s] help is about and what the investment of the Hungarian people means here to the local communities.”
She noted that she felt safe throughout her visit.
“I am happy to see that the Hungarian investment is really an investment which goes to your future and I have to assure you that you are not alone.”
PM Barzani also spoke during the event.
“Hungary was one of the many nations which responded to the pressing humanitarian calls of those dark times,” he said, referring to the ISIS war and the humanitarian crisis which followed. “I am very pleased that President Novak is here with us today.”
Novak was elected as Hungary’s president in March after securing an absolute majority of votes. She has previously served as the country’s minister for family affairs. Upon her election as president, she became Hungary’s first-ever female head of state. This is her first visit to Iraq and the Kurdistan Region as the leader of her country.
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