Belgium and the EU will remain, partners of the Kurdistan Region,

ARK News: Prominent Kurdish leader and former President of the Kurdistan Region Masoud Barzani has reaffirmed Erbil's determination to fight terrorism, saying that the Kurdish culture does not allow terrorists to exist in the region.

Barzani made the remarks during a meeting with delegates from Belgium and the EU who were led by Belgian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander De Croo in the capital city of Erbil on Tuesday, where the visitors hailed the role of Barzani and the Kurdistan Region in the fight against the Islamic State (IS) on one hand, and hosting nearly two million IDPs and Syrian refugees, on the other hand.

The delegates reiterated their governments' support to Iraq and the Kurdistan Region in the reconstruction of the areas as well as the return of the civilians to their place of origin.

The Kurdish leader, in return, thanked Belgium and the EU for their assistance to the region during the three-year war against the IS militant group.

Concerning the political affairs in the Kurdistan Region, the Belgian Deputy PM congratulated Barzani on the election of the Kurdistan parliament speaker viewing the move as a positive step in Erbil.

The former President of the Kurdistan Region pointed out that electing a woman as the head of the regional parliament demonstrates the progress in the Kurdish political culture.

The officials, apart from discussing the latest political and security developments in Iraq’s province of Nineveh and the return of the civilians, also shed light on the situation in Syria, where Barzani expressed concerns over the future of the Kurds in the country.

Source: BasNews

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