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Erbil,
June 6 (AKI) - The Iraqi Kurdistan Regional
Government (KRG) deputy prime minister, Sarkis
Aghadjan, has met the UN deputy special
representative for Iraq, Staffan de Mistura, in
Erbil to discuss issues relating to past and future
UN activities in Northern Iraq. Both parties reached
an agreement regarding assets procured by the United
Nations with funds from the ‘Oil for Food’ Programme
2.2 percent account.
During the discussions with the Kurdistan regional
government officials, de Mistura indicated that he
clearly understands the concerns previously
expressed by the Kurdish prime minister, Nechirvan
Barzani, regarding the use of the 2.2 percent
account.
De Mistura, a veteran UN relief official who served
as the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq from
March through August 1997, also expressed his
appreciation for the prime minister’s constructive
approach in solving this issue.
In relation to re-starting United Nations operations
in Northern Iraq, they also agreed that future UN
activities in the region would closely involve the
Kurdish regional government prior to initiation of
programmes.
Both parties recognised that since 2003 the
operating environment in Kurdistan had dramatically
changed, as well as the need to review their working
relationship.
The Kurdish regional government (KRG) raised its
complaints about the UN oil-for-food programme and
related issues that had still to be resolved. The
KRG is pursuing all unspent and other oil-for-food
funds to which it believes the people of the
Kurdistan region are entitled.
The meeting also discussed the security of UN staff
and facilities and efforts to attract new UN-managed
resources to the Kurdistan region.
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