President Barzani calls Queen Elizabeth a ‘true inspiration’ worldwide

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The President of the Kurdistan Region on Monday described the late Queen Elizabeth II as a “true inspiration” to people around the world during his visit to London to attend the funeral of the late monarch.

“I attended the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey in London to pay my respects to the late Queen,” President Nechirvan Barzani said in a tweet while hailing the Queen’s status as a worldwide inspiration.

Barzani arrived in London on Sunday at the official invitation of the United Kingdom to attend the funeral of the longtime British monarch, who died on September 8 at the age of 96 after her health deteriorated.

The Queen’s death triggered 10 days of national mourning and a tremendous amount of tributes from people all over the world were sent following the announcement of her passing.

“I was also honored to meet HM King Charles III at Buckingham Palace last night and offer my condolences,” Barzani added.

King Charles III, the Queen’s eldest son, automatically became King and succeeded her following her passing.

“Britain and the Kurdistan Region share a deep, broad, and historic relationship in a number of different fields, and they have been progressing as of late,” Karwan Jamal Tahir, the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) high representative in London, told Rudaw’s Alla Shally on Sunday.

The UK has been an important ally of the Kurdistan Region for decades. Thirty years ago, former British premier Sir John Major played a key role in declaring a no-fly zone in the north of Iraq, providing a safe haven from the Baathist regime that allowed Kurds to gain some autonomy. An Erbil street was named after him in April 2021.