President Barzani receives Estonian president in Erbil

Rudaw

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Wednesday received Estonian President Alar Karis in Erbil.

Barzani received Karis at Erbil International Airport. This marks the first ever visit of an Estonian president to the Kurdistan Region. 

“The two presidents are expected to hold a meeting this evening to discuss Estonia's relations with Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, the enhancement of areas of mutual cooperation and several issues of common interest and to exchange views,” read a statement from the Kurdistan Region Presidency.


President Barzani said on X he thanked Karis for “his country’s contribution and support to Iraq and the Kurdistan Region in the fight against terrorism.”

Karis arrived in Baghdad on Tuesday, where he was received by Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid.

Estonia has been a member of the US-led global coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS) since 2016. The country deployed a unit of 110 members to Erbil in April, in order to support efforts ranging from base defense to rapid response, to providing security for advisors during activities outside the Erbil airbase.

In August, Estonia's Minister of Defense Hanno Pevkur met with President Barzani and Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani in Erbil, discussing military cooperation between the two sides.

Ahead of Pevkur’s visit Brita Kikas, the Estonian foreign ministry’s media advisor, told Rudaw that the Kurdistan Region has been Tallinn’s most successful cooperation partner in the information and communication (ICT) department since 2014.