Masrour Barzani: Drastic Reforms “Essential” in Kurdistan

[Anthea]

Rudaw

The international community pledged more support at the Munich Security Conference for the Kurdistan Region and its Peshmerga forces in light of the current economic crisis, head of Kurdistan Region’s foreign relations department, Falah Mustafa told Rudaw.

Mustafa said that Kurdish President Masoud Barzani has been conveying the current financial and refugee crisis as well as the war against the Islamic State (ISIS) to European and world leaders in Munich and urged them for their support.

The world’s top officials reportedly promised the Kurdish delegation more military, humanitarian and financial support.

“These countries do not want to lose the Peshmerga forces’ successes against Daesh, so they promised more help to the Kurdistan Region,” said Mustafa, using the Arabic acronym for ISIS.

Speaking on the Kurdish referendum, according to Mustafa, Barzani told the world’s leaders attending the conference that Kurdistan has the right to decide on its own future in a referendum.

Following his meeting with Kurdish President Barzani Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni said the question of independence referendum in the Kurdistan Region is a political question and Kurdish leaders can decide it, keeping in mind the current situation and the issue of stability in the region.

Meanwhile, the German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier expressed his country’s “serious concern” over the Kurdish independence referendum while the deputy head of Germany’s CDU ruling Party Armin Laschet told Rudaw that Kurdish independence is an issue that “can be decided in Kurdistan with Iraq.”

http://rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/140220165

[Anthea]

BAS NEWS

Chancellor of the Kurdistan Region Security Council (KRSC), Masrour Barzani, has reiterated that re-forming the administrational, economic and financial structures in the Kurdistan Region is essential to cope with the current situation.

According to a statement released by KRSC, Barzani met with the British Ambassador to Iraq, Frank Baker, and the British Consul General in Erbil, Angus McKee, on Monday to discuss the current security and political challenges faced by the Kurdistan Region.

Concerning the current financial hardship in the Kurdistan Region, Barzani explained that helping the reform plans, which have previously been introduced by Kurdistan Region President Massoud Barzani, is necessary to tackle the crisis.

"There is no other way but to bring about a effective reform, and to re-structure the administrational, economic and financial systems of the Kurdistan Region" Barzani pointed out.

Chancellor of KRSC also said that the Kurdish political parties, all together, share responsibilities for the deficiencies in the Kurdistan Region, “so they must cooperate to bring about effective reforms to overcome the obstacles.”

Barzani, once again, urged the international community to provide further immediate financial support for Kurdish Peshmerga forces who are playing an outstanding role in the war against the Islamic State (IS).

http://www.basnews.com/index.php/en/new ... tan/260417