Dutch defence minister visits Erbil

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Dutch Defence Minister Kajsa Ollongren visited the Kurdistan Region’s capital city of Erbil on Tuesday, discussing a range of topics with Prime Minister Masrour Barzani.

Barzani said in a tweet they both talked about “the future; security cooperation, regional stability and Peshmerga reform.” 

“The bond between Kurdistan and the Netherlands has been forged over the past half century. When war and genocide drove many from our lands, Holland became their second home,” he added.  

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) said in a statement that Barzani and Ollongren “focused on the security, stability, and sovereignty of the Kurdistan Region and Iraq, the cessation of repeated attacks on the Region, the threat of the Islamic State (ISIS), and efforts to unify Peshmerga forces as part of the KRG reform agenda.”

The KRG cited the Dutch minister as saying that Erbil and Amsterdam share strong and friendly ties.

The Netherlands has been a constant backer of the Region’s agriculture, economy, infrastructure, and tourism.

The Kurdistan Region and the Netherlands signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in July to cooperate in the field of agriculture and develop local produce.