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President Barzani attends official opening of US consulate in Erbil
12/07/2011 18:17
Erbil, July 12 (AKnews) – President Barzani joined the US ambassador to Iraq, James Jeffery, along with Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and US State Department officials for the opening of an American Consulate-General in Erbil yesterday.
President Barzani described the opening of the Consulate - coinciding with the 235th anniversary of US independence - as “an historic day for US-Iraqi Kurdistan relations”.
The President said the Kurds “will never forget” America’s support going back to the Kurdish uprising in 1991- at the time of the first Gulf war - when the United States and Britain established no-fly zones over the Iraqi-Kurdistan region. This provided “a sort of safe haven” for Kurds, he said, “and we were able to benefit from that opportunity to work on a reconstruction of our country and building institutions here in the region.”
For his part, Ambassador Jeffrey made reference to the significance of the opening ceremony being held on a day close to the heart of the American people.
“I believe there is no better place to celebrate our Independence Day than here in a partner country fighting for its democracy,” he said.
Ambassador Jeffery said that the opening of the Consulate General was an indication of Washington’s commitment to Iraq and to the Kurdistan Region.
“It is our fondest wish that a strong and vibrant Kurdistan Region within a democratic and federal Iraq arise from the tragic history of this region. Our goal is to build an Iraq for all its citizens... Arabs and Kurds, Sunni and Shia, Christian and Muslim, Yezidi and Shebak, one that respects all its citizens and one which is governed by the rule of law.”
Among the Iraqi dignitaries present at yesterday’s ceremony were the Iraqi First Lady Hero Talabani, the Iraqi-Kurdistan Prime Minister Barham Salih, the Legal Director of the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Arshad Tawfik and the Director of Consular Affairs Ambassador Ismet Ageed.
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12/07/2011 18:17
Erbil, July 12 (AKnews) – President Barzani joined the US ambassador to Iraq, James Jeffery, along with Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and US State Department officials for the opening of an American Consulate-General in Erbil yesterday.
President Barzani described the opening of the Consulate - coinciding with the 235th anniversary of US independence - as “an historic day for US-Iraqi Kurdistan relations”.
The President said the Kurds “will never forget” America’s support going back to the Kurdish uprising in 1991- at the time of the first Gulf war - when the United States and Britain established no-fly zones over the Iraqi-Kurdistan region. This provided “a sort of safe haven” for Kurds, he said, “and we were able to benefit from that opportunity to work on a reconstruction of our country and building institutions here in the region.”
For his part, Ambassador Jeffrey made reference to the significance of the opening ceremony being held on a day close to the heart of the American people.
“I believe there is no better place to celebrate our Independence Day than here in a partner country fighting for its democracy,” he said.
Ambassador Jeffery said that the opening of the Consulate General was an indication of Washington’s commitment to Iraq and to the Kurdistan Region.
“It is our fondest wish that a strong and vibrant Kurdistan Region within a democratic and federal Iraq arise from the tragic history of this region. Our goal is to build an Iraq for all its citizens... Arabs and Kurds, Sunni and Shia, Christian and Muslim, Yezidi and Shebak, one that respects all its citizens and one which is governed by the rule of law.”
Among the Iraqi dignitaries present at yesterday’s ceremony were the Iraqi First Lady Hero Talabani, the Iraqi-Kurdistan Prime Minister Barham Salih, the Legal Director of the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Arshad Tawfik and the Director of Consular Affairs Ambassador Ismet Ageed.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
