PM Masrour Barzani: “We Don’t Wait for Miracles — We Must Create Them and Build Our Homeland”
ARK News.. Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani affirmed that the Erbil Green Belt Project will play a crucial role in improving the environment, stressing that his government places environmental protection at the heart of all its initiatives.
Speaking during a ceremony to plant the first olive tree as part of the Green Belt Project in Erbil, Barzani quoted the mystic Jalaluddin Romi, saying: “The flower grows with rainwater, not with thunder and lightning. Likewise, we will continue rebuilding Kurdistan calmly and steadfastly.”
Barzani expressed gratitude to Greek experts and officials attending the event, noting the symbolic importance of reintroducing olive trees to their ancient homeland. “The olive is a blessed and valuable tree,” he said, “and it will greatly contribute to establishing Erbil’s green belt.”
The Prime Minister explained that the project will create job opportunities for youth, who will receive training to work efficiently within the environmental support program.
Highlighting the project’s environmental and health benefits, Barzani said: “We wished to do more, but unfortunately, we faced numerous obstacles. Despite that, with persistence and dedication, we managed to move forward and launch this project.”
He emphasized that people naturally migrate from barren lands to green and lively areas, adding: “We are not waiting for miracles to happen — we must create them ourselves and build our homeland.”
Barzani acknowledged the difficulties his government faced in implementing several development projects due to lack of cooperation, but praised the commitment of government officials and ministries for their perseverance: “We did not give up. Thanks to their efforts, we continue to move forward, and we will keep doing so.”
He invited the private sector and foreign partners to take part in advancing the project, expressing appreciation to diaspora Kurds who have already shown readiness to contribute.
Barzani further warned that the effects of climate change extend beyond Kurdistan, affecting Iraq and the entire world. He urged immediate global action: “What we can do today may be too late tomorrow. Protecting the environment affects our quality of life and the demographic balance of our regions.”
He cautioned that desertification drives migration, explaining that people naturally move from lifeless, arid areas toward greener lands — eventually migrating further abroad.
“That’s why we’ve asked foreign nations to support us in environmental protection — not only for our sake, but to prevent future migration crises that could burden them socially, politically, and economically.”
Barzani concluded: “Investing in environmental protection today is not a cost — it’s a shared safeguard for the future of both our people and the world.”
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