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Minister Barwary rallies Sweden's support
for Kurdistan's youth
26.2.2007 |
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February 26, 2007
Stockholm, Sweden, -– Taha Barwary, the
Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Minister for
Sports and Youth, returned to Kurdistan on Tuesday ,
Feb 20, after a series of meetings with Sweden’s
government, parliamentarians and NGOs. Mr Barwary
had meetings at SIDA, Sweden’s international
development agency, at the Ersta Sköndal Foundation,
and with several other organisations to rally
Swedish support for the Kurdistan’s Region’s
development.
Mr Barwary stressed to the Swedish International
Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) the need for
capacity building, particularly developing young
people’s skills. The minister later met Mrs Catarina
Tarras-Wahlberg of Ersta Sköndal University’s
Institute for Social Work to ask about the
possibility of establishing a social work education
programme through the institute. Barwary also held
meetings with Anders Carlberg, founder of Fryshuset,
a youth foundation headed by the YMCA. They
discussed how to improve the lives of young people
in the Kurdistan Region by adopting some of the
foundation’s ideas and practices. |
Taha Barwary, the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG)
Minister for Sports and Youth |
Barwary and the KRG Nordic Representation met Tobias
Billström, Minister for Migration and Asylum Policy
at the Swedish Ministry of Justice, to discuss
Kurdish asylum seekers and preventive measures to
tackle the issue. At Sweden’s Foreign Ministry, Mr
Barwary highlighted the countries that have
established official representations in Erbil, the
Kurdistan Region’s capital, to promote closer
business and diplomatic relations. This year the
foreign ministries of Denmark and Japan changed
their travel advice after reviewing the situation on
the ground and recognizing the security and
stability of the region.
The Sports and Youth Minister also met members of
opposition parties and the Swedish parliament, the
parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee, the Olof
Palme International Centre and officials from
Stockholm municipality’s culture and sports section.
Barwary emphasised the stability and security in the
Kurdistan Region that makes it possible for Sweden
and other European countries to engage and cooperate
productively with Kurdistan. He told the Swedish
Trade Council and Swedish companies that Kurdistan’s
economy is growing rapidly and that the investment
law approved last year makes the Region a more
attractive investment location for foreign
companies.
Throughout his meetings, Barwary emphasised that the
KRG wants to improve people’s lives socially and
economically so that young people need not look
abroad for a brighter future. He asked that Western
countries play an active role and endorse this
strategy if they wish to prevent larger numbers of
refugees and spread democracy and stability to other
parts of Iraq as well.
The KRG Nordic Representation and the minister held
a seminar with the Kurdish community to update them
on the current situation in Kurdistan and the
challenges and policies of the KRG and his own
ministry. Barwary called for a medical advisory team
to be established to inform the public in Kurdistan
about the health benefits of physical activity. He
also met Iraqi Ambassador Ahmad Bamarni. During
Barwary’s visit, the KRG Nordic Representation held
its second annual Kurdish Gala for the Kurdish
community and Swedish friends and supporters.
MOSY-KRG org
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