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Kurdistan Region-Iraq News in brief
16.7.2007
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July
16, 2007 - Sulaimaniyah,
Erbil, Duhok, Kirkuk, Kurdistan Region (Iraq)
16 arrested for infiltrating into Turkish
territories
Duhok, -- Sixteen people were arrested in the
Turkish border region for attempting to infiltrate
into Turkey, an official source from the border
guard forces in Dirbon, Zakho, said on Monday.
"Those arrested were local residents of
al-Sulaimaniyah, Duhok, Erbil and Sinjar. Their ages
are between 15 and 25 years old," Lt. Colonel Delir
Farzanda Zibari, the official in charge of a border
guards unit in Dirbon, said.
Zibari said the infiltrators confessed to attempting
to illegally enter Turkey.
KRG Head of Foreign Relations welcomes
international NGO representatives - (KRG)
Erbil, -- Minister Falah Mustafa Bakir, the
Kurdistan Regional Government Head of the Department
of Foreign Relations, on Friday met representatives
of the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and the
Swedish Red Cross.
Mr Bakir welcomed Francesca Binda, NDI’s new Iraq
Country Director, and Heather Therrien, NDI’s
Political Party Development Director, to the
Kurdistan Region. He said, “I’m delighted to welcome
you to our Region and wholeheartedly support your
mission to strengthen democracy in Iraq. NDI is a
respected international organisation in the field of
democracy building”. Ms. Binda said that NDI was
ready to support the KRG in its reform and
development efforts.
Mr Bakir said, “The KRG is focusing on the
promotion, enhancement, and appreciation of the
important role that women play in our society.” He
referred to Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani’s
recent comments that civil society must truly become
the third sector and flourish between the public and
private sectors. Mr. Bakir reiterated the KRG’s
commitment to rooting out corruption, operating
transparently and always being accountable to the
people. He asked that NDI support these essential
policies by operating workshops and seminars to help
educate all sectors of the Kurdistan Region’s
community.
NDI pledged close cooperation with the KRG,
Kurdistan Region political parties, the Kurdistan
National Assembly, and other NGOs operating in the
Region to build capacity and develop the democratic
experience. Mr Bakir also met Hugo Rickberg, Project
Director for the Swedish Red Cross (SWC) Office of
Repatriation. They discussed a business programme
established by the SWC to members of the Kurdish
community in Sweden. The programme that has brought
seven young Kurds to Erbil to introduce them to the
Kurdistan Region’s business environment. It is hoped
that some of the participants will return to their
homeland on a permanent basis and contribute to the
economic rebirth of the Region.
Mr Rickberg also informed Mr Bakir that the SWC is
establishing, with financial from the Swedish
government, vocational training for Kurdish refugees
in Sweden before they leave for the Kurdistan
Region. This training will continue after the
refugees have returned to the Region. The SWC, in
cooperation with the Iraqi Red Crescent, will be
opening an office in Erbil to coordinate this
effort.
Mr Rickberg updated Mr Bakir on the situation of
Sweden’s Kurdish refugees and the Swedish
government’s decision to forcibly repatriate 1,400
Kurdish refugees. Mr Bakir reiterated the KRG’s
policy against forced repatriation and said he was
sceptical of its value. Mr Bakir said that over the
years Sweden has been a great friend to the people
of the Kurdistan Region. Many Kurds have benefited
greatly from the education they have received in
Sweden and have returned to the Kurdistan Region to
put their acquired skills to good use. Mr Bakir
welcomed SWC’s proposals and pledged the KRG’s full
support and close
cooperation.
UK Representation thanks KRG's British and
international friends - (KRG)
London, -- Ms Bayan Sami Abdul Rahman, the Kurdistan
Regional Government High Representative to the UK,
yesterday hosted the KRG's annual reception in
London to thank Kurdistan's friends from Britain and
the international community.
Ms Abdul Rahman told guests, “The friendship the
people of Kurdistan feel towards Britain is deep…We
are optimistic that under Prime Minister Gordon
Brown, Kurdistan Region and Britain’s friendship
will continue to strengthen.” The KRG's guests at
the reception included MPs and Lords, government
officials, London-based diplomats, business
executives, journalists, academics, NGOs and members
of the Kurdish community. The reception was also
attended by Dr Salah Al-Shaikhly, the Iraqi
ambassador in London and members of the Iraqi
embassy.
Lord Tim Clement-Jones, a Liberal-Democrat peer,
told the KRG’s guests about his visit to the
Kurdistan Region last November when he headed a
high-level British trade delegation. He said,
“Thanks to Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani and the
efforts of the KRG, the economic progress that has
been made since my previous visit in 2004 is
impressive. Thanks in particular to Karim Sinjari,
the Interior Minister, the Kurdistan Region is even
more secure than it had been previously. There was
enormous goodwill towards British business. With
much better transport links and the Foreign Office
being much more positive about its travel advice, we
now need to take advantage of this.”
Ms Sami Abdul Rahman said, “Looking over the past
year, I’m pleased to say that there were many visits
to Kurdistan by our friends from Britain. The
delegations included British trade union groups,
journalists, doctors, parliamentarians including of
course Ann Clwyd and Lord Tim Clement Jones, and two
high-level trade missions. We are grateful to the
Middle East Association and to British Expertise,
who organised the trade visits, for their continued
interest in the Region.” The Middle East Association
plans another visit in early October and British
Expertise will organise a British delegation for the
Erbil International Trade Fair later in the same
month.
She also reflected on the progress made over the
past year, such as the open investment law passed in
June 2006, and the Kurdistan Region’s oil law which
is currently being considered by parliament. She
added that the KRG looked forward to more visits by
British friends in the future and to strengthening
ties with Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
Kurdish String Orchestra wins second place in
Vienna international youth music festival (MOSY-KRG.org)
Vienna, Austria,-- The Kurdish String Orchestra on
Wednesday won second place, with excellence, in the
string orchestra category at the first Summa Cum
Laude International Youth Music Festival in Vienna.
Throughout the competition process, the orchestra
was supported by the KRG Ministry for Sports and
Youth (MOSY) and Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani.
MOSY supported the orchestra’s efforts so that young
people in Kurdistan could show their talents abroad
and mix with their peers from other parts of the
world. Taha Barwary, KRG Minister for Sports and
Youth, said that he hoped their success would
inspire other young people from Kurdistan to be more
active and creative.
First place in the string orchestra category went to
Germany’s Puchheimer JugendKammer Orchestra.
Minister Barwary said, “I am delighted with the
groups success and honoured to show a positive
aspect of the Kurdistan Region to the outside world,
especially an aspect that is as beautiful, peaceful
and harmonious as classical music.”
The string orchestras participating in the festival
had to play four pieces for the judges: a compulsory
piece by Mozart, one piece of music by a composer
from their home country, a contemporary piece and a
freely chosen piece. Choirs, bands, and string and
symphony orchestras from New Zealand, the US, China,
Germany, Ukraine, Australia and the Netherlands took
part in the festival at the Musikverein, one of the
world’s finest concert halls.
krg org | VOI
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