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US Secretary Rice shows support for
Kurdistan Region's autonomy
7.10.2006
KRG Office of the Prime Minister |
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Erbil, Kurdistan
Region (Iraq), October 7, -- In the latest of series
of high-level visits to the Kurdistan Region, US
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited Erbil on
Thursday for meetings with the senior leadership of
the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).
Rice: Region has special history
In a press briefing with President Barzani,
Secretary Rice said, "It's wonderful to be in Erbil
again. I said to the President that it is a
beautiful region that is obviously growing very
rapidly."
She said to Mr Barzani, "I appreciate your
leadership and I appreciate also your important
participation in the process of national
reconciliation."
When asked about guarantees for the rights of the
people of the Kurdistan Region, Secretary Rice said,
"We have been friends with the Kurdish people for a
very long time, and in fact prior to liberation,
well prior to liberation, I think helped to provide
stability and protection to the Kurdish people.
We now are able to have a situation in which we will
have a democratic Iraq, not just a democratic
Kurdish region. There are guarantees in the
constitution of that unified Iraq. People understand
the importance of autonomy here in the Kurdish
regions. They understand the special history of
Kurdistan."
President Barzani helping to building national
reconciliation
President Barzani in their meeting reaffirmed his
support for a federal and democratic Iraq, noting
that the Kurdistan Region made a voluntary decision
to remain part of a federal Iraq and would continue
to do so.
“We continue to support efforts toward national
reconciliation and the peaceful and democratic
evolution of Iraq,” he said. “We are doing our part
to bring all groups together in a structure which
provides autonomy and freedom for all the people of
Iraq.”
President Barzani thanked the Secretary for US’s
continuing commitment to the region.
On the matter of oil, President Barzani said the
Iraqi constitution provides for fair and equitable
distribution of oil revenues, while allowing
individual regions to maintain substantial control
of their own natural resources.
He said, “We will continue to press for a solution
which respects our rights, but which is part of a
fair and equitable treatment of all Iraq’s natural
resources”. |
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice , left, talks
with reporters during a news conference after
meeting with the President of the Kurdistan region
(Iraq) , Massoud Barzani, right, in Erbil, Iraq
Friday, Oct. 6,
Photo:AP
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice(C) is flanked
by Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan regional Prime
Minister Nechirvan Barazani(L) and US Ambassador
Zalmay Khalilzad(R) upon her arrival to Erbil
International airport.
Photo:AFP |
This was Secretary Rice’s second visit to the
Kurdistan Region in the last two years. As well as
meeting President Masoud Barzani, she also met Vice
President Kosrat Rasoul, Mr Nawsherwan Mustafa,
Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani and Deputy Prime
Minster Omar Fattah. Zalmay Khalilzad, the US
Ambassador to Iraq, and a delegation from the State
Department, accompanied Miss Rice.
krg org
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