President Barzani and Patrick Durel Exchange Views on Latest Regional Developments
ARK News.. President Masoud Barzani and the French Ambassador to Iraq exchanged views on the political situation and the latest developments in the region, as well as the threats and risks facing its stability.
On Monday, June 30, 2025, President Masoud Barzani received Patrick Durel, the French Ambassador to Iraq, at the Salahuddin Resort.
During the meeting, which was also attended by Yann Brim, the French Consul General in Erbil, the two sides discussed the political situation and recent developments in the region, the threats and risks to regional stability, and highlighted the disputes between Erbil and Baghdad. They also assessed the recent negotiations between the Kurdistan Regional Government and the Iraqi federal government.
Other topics of discussion included the upcoming Iraqi parliamentary elections scheduled for November, the next stages of the political process in Iraq, and the relationship between the Kurdistan Region and France.
1208
أربيل وبغداد قريبتان من التوصل إلى اتفاق بشأن آلية لتصدير نفط كوردستان
أفاد مصدر مطلع أن أربيل وبغداد قريبتان من التوصل إلى اتفاق، وبالتوصل إليه، سيتم اتخاذ القرار غدًا بإرسال رواتب موظفي إقليم كوردستان.
وفق مصادر إعلامية كوردستانية، قال مصدر مطلع على الاجتماعات بين وفدي حكومة إقليم كوردستان والحكومة الاتحادية، إن وفدًا رفيع المستوى من حكومة إقليم كوردستان تواجد في بغداد لمدة ثلاثة أيام وعقد حتى الآن عددًا من الاجتماعات رفيعة المستوى مع المسؤولين في الحكومة العراقية.
واضاف المصدر، أن "أربيل وبغداد اتفقتا على آلية لتصدير نفط كوردستان، لكن لا تزال هناك بعض نقاط الخلاف التي تحتاج إلى حل. من المتوقع أن يتم خلال اجتماع اليوم الاتفاق النهائي حول صادرات النفط. وينص التعديل على قانون الموازنة العامة للعراق على إلزام حكومة إقليم كوردستان بتسليم 400،000 برميل من النفط يوميًا إلى سومو، ولكن وفقًا للاتفاق الحالي، سيتم تسليم حوالي 280،000 برميل من النفط إلى سومو يوميًا، وسيتم استخدام الـ 120،000 برميل المتبقية للاحتياجات المحلية للعراق وإقليم كوردستان".
وكان عضو مجلس النواب العراقي صباح صبحي، قال إن وفدي التفاوض لحكومة إقليم كوردستان والحكومة الاتحادية يقتربان بشكل كبير من التوصل إلى اتفاق، وسط احتمالات قوية لإيجاد حل جذري لمشكلة رواتب موظفي الإقليم.
كما أشار البرلماني إلى أنه خلال جلسة مجلس النواب العراقي المقررة يوم الثلاثاء المقبل، سيتم الإعلان عن حل جذري لمشكلة رواتب موظفي إقليم كوردستان.
223
الرئيس بارزاني و باتريك دوريل يتبادلان وجهات النظر بشأن آخر التطورات في المنطقة
تبادل الرئيس بارزاني والسفير الفرنسي لدى العراق، وجهات النظر بشأن الأوضاع السياسية وآخر التطورات في المنطقة، بالإضافة إلى التهديدات والمخاطر التي تواجه استقرار المنطقة.
استقبل الرئيس مسعود بارزاني، اليوم الاثنين، 30 حزيران 2025، في مصيف صلاح الدين، باتريك دوريل، السفير الفرنسي لدى العراق.
خلال اللقاء الذي حضره يان بريِم، القنصل العام الفرنسي في أربيل، جرى تبادل وجهات النظر بشأن الأوضاع السياسية وآخر التطورات في المنطقة، بالإضافة إلى التهديدات والمخاطر التي تواجه استقرار المنطقة، إلى جانب تسليط الضوء على الخلافات بين أربيل وبغداد، وتقييم المباحثات والمفاوضات التي أجريت مؤخراً بين حكومة إقليم كوردستان والحكومة الاتحادية العراقية.
وكانت انتخابات مجلس النواب العراقي المقررة في تشرين الثاني القادم والمراحل المقبلة من العملية السياسية في العراق، وكذلك العلاقات بين إقليم كوردستان وفرنسا محاورَ أخرى للقاء.
271
Syria and the UK Discuss Ways to Strengthen Joint Cooperation Across Various Fields
ARK News.. Syrian Foreign Minister Discusses with UK Envoy Ways to Enhance Joint Work in Different Sectors
On Sunday, June 29, 2025, Syria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Asaad al-Shaibani, met in Damascus with the United Kingdom’s Envoy to Syria, Ms. Anna Snow.
According to media sources, the meeting focused on ways to strengthen joint cooperation across various fields and on supporting the Syrian people during the reconstruction phase.
213
The 100th Anniversary of the Execution of Sheikh Saeed Piran and Dozens of His Companions
ARK News.. Sunday, June 29, 2025, marked the 100th anniversary of the execution of Sheikh Saeed Piran and dozens of his companions.
A Brief Biography of Sheikh Saeed Piran:
Saeed, son of Sheikh Mahmoud bin Sheikh Ali, was born in 1865 in the Balo district of Turkish Kurdistan. He received his early education from his father, memorizing the Quran and learning the basics of reading, writing, and Islamic jurisprudence.
Upon completing his studies, he became a renowned religious scholar and succeeded his father as the spiritual leader of the order in Balo. Sheikh Saeed was politically active from the early days of Kurdish associations and organizations between 1908 and 1923, maintaining close ties with prominent nationalist families such as the Badir Khan family and the family of Sheikh Obaidullah Nahri, along with other contemporary Kurdish leaders.
After the arrest of some leaders of the Azadi Society (Khalid Jibran and Youssef Zia) in 1924, the society convened a congress in Aleppo, Syria, electing Sheikh Saeed as its president. They decided to launch a general uprising to demand Kurdish national rights, setting its start for the Kurdish national holiday of Newroz on March 21, 1925. Sheikh Saeed toured Turkish Kurdistan to rally support for the uprising.
When Sheikh Saeed and around 100 horsemen reached the village of Piran, they encountered an Ottoman detachment sent to arrest certain Kurds. A firefight ensued in which some Turkish soldiers were killed and others captured.
News of this clash spread quickly. Kurdish leaders assumed Sheikh Said had declared the uprising and began attacking Turkish forces. Sheikh Saeed's brother, Sheikh Abdulrahman, seized control of the city of “Genç”, which was designated as the provisional capital of Turkish Kurdistan.
The revolt spread rapidly. For a brief period, the rebels controlled much of Kurdistan (14 eastern provinces). Around 600,000 Kurds joined the uprising, along with approximately 100,000 Circassians, Arabs, Armenians, and Assyrians.
The rebels besieged the city of Amed until Turkish reinforcements with heavy weapons arrived. Despite storming the city, the rebels failed to capture it entirely, and Sheikh Saeed ordered a retreat. Turkish forces encircled the rebels, preventing them from escaping into Iraqi, Syrian, or Iranian Kurdistan. Eventually, Sheikh Saeed and many leaders of the uprising were captured.
In a summary trial, 49 commanders and fighters, including Sheikh Saeed Piran, were sentenced to death. The sentence was carried out on June 29, 1925.
Before his execution, Sheikh Saeed declared at the gallows:
"My natural life is ending. I have sacrificed myself for my people, and I do not regret it. We are happy because our descendants will not be ashamed of us before our enemies
495
Nechirvan Barzani Receives Brajesh Komar, India’s New Consul General in Kurdistan Region
ARK News.. Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani and the new Indian Consul General in the Kurdistan Region discussed regional developments and their implications.
On Sunday morning, June 29, 2025, President Nechirvan Barzani received Brajesh Komar, the newly appointed Indian Consul General in the Kurdistan Region. President Barzani congratulated him on assuming his new post, wished him success, and affirmed the full support of the relevant authorities in the Kurdistan Region to ensure his mission's success.
During their meeting, both sides expressed mutual desire to strengthen relations and exchanged views on ways to expand bilateral cooperation in various fields. They also highlighted the activities of the Indian workforce and companies operating in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.
Regional developments and their consequences were another key topic of discussion in the meeting.
370
Gideon Sa’ar: Keeping the Golan Under Israeli Sovereignty Is a Condition for Normalization with Syria
ARK News.. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar has stressed that any potential peace agreement or normalization with Syria must be based on a fundamental principle: the Golan Heights remaining under Israeli sovereignty, describing this stance as non-negotiable.
In an interview with Israel’s I24News channel, Sa’ar said Israel does not object in principle to entering into negotiations with Syria, but emphasized at the same time that “any future peace agreement or normalization must take place with the Golan in our hands.”
He underscored that on the issue of the Golan, “there will be no concessions.”
The Israeli Foreign Minister added that if Syria were to recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights, that would be a basis for an acceptable agreement.
Sa’ar concluded, however, that “we are not at that stage yet” and that Israel continues to monitor developments.
439
Iraq Adds Damascus University to Its Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research Guides for 2025
ARK News.. Damascus University has been included in the guides of Iraq’s Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research for 2025, which were issued this June after the university met the ministry’s required conditions.
Dr. Marwan Al-Ra’i, Director of the Ranking Office at Damascus University, explained to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) that the most important conditions included the university’s inclusion in several global academic and research rankings, the presence of internationally published research by Damascus University scholars—both students and faculty—as well as the enrollment of international and Iraqi students at the university, among other criteria.
Al-Ra’i noted that Damascus University met these conditions through correspondence between its Ranking and Accreditation Office and the Iraqi Embassy and Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research over recent months.
He stressed that the significance of Damascus University’s inclusion in Iraq’s official recognition guides lies in obtaining institutional accreditation for all its specializations and branches. This means graduates’ degrees will be fully recognized by all Iraqi universities, allowing them to use their degrees for work or further study without needing equivalency procedures or risking rejection.
According to Al-Ra’i, Damascus University has also regained recognition in countries such as Oman, Bahrain, Algeria, Kuwait, and Iraq. He highlighted the particular importance of Iraqi recognition given its high standards, noting that fewer than 2,500 universities worldwide are included.
Currently, Damascus University appears in 19 global rankings, compared to only 4 at the end of 2023.
1691
Syria Denies Foiling Assassination Attempt on Ahmad al-Sharaa
ARK News.. Syrian sources have denied reports circulated by several media outlets claiming that the Syrian army and Turkish intelligence thwarted an assassination attempt on Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa during his visit to Daraa.
The official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) quoted a source at the Ministry of Information as saying:
“There is no truth to what has been circulated by several media outlets about the Syrian army and Turkish intelligence foiling an assassination attempt on President Ahmad al-Sharaa during his visit to Daraa.”
Several media outlets and activists on social media had shared reports alleging that there was an attempt to assassinate the interim Syrian president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, during his visit to Daraa.
340
دمشق تشهد تدهورا غير مسبوق في واقع الكهرباء
أفادت مصادر محلية أن العاصمة السورية دمشق تشهد تدهوراً غير مسبوق في واقع الكهرباء، مع دخول فصل الصيف.
قالت مصادر محلية إن الكهرباء في العاصمة السورية دمشق، لا تتوفر لأكثر من ساعة ونصف فقط، مقابل أكثر من خمس ساعات من الانقطاع المتكرر، ما زاد من معاناة الأهالي وأربك تفاصيل حياتهم اليومية.
وحسب المصدر، أن الانقطاع المتواصل للكهرباء أثّر على أعمالهم وحياتهم، خاصة في ظل ارتفاع درجات الحرارة وعدم توفر بدائل فعالة.
وأوضح المصدر، أن معظم محطات الكهرباء باتت متهالكة وتحتاج إلى إصلاح جذري.
وتنتج سوريا حالياً ما بين 2300 إلى 2600 ميغاواط فقط، في حين تحتاج البلاد إلى ما يقارب 10 آلاف ميغاواط لتغطية الطلب العام.
وكان البنك الدولي قد أعلن في وقت سابق عن تقديم 146 مليون دولار لدعم قطاع الكهرباء في سوريا، فيما تشير التقديرات إلى أن خسائر البنية التحتية الكهربائية تجاوزت 12 مليار دولار منذ بداية الحرب.
365
