Kurdistan Regional Government
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Prime Minister Barzani receives new US Consul General

TUE, 17 JUL 2012 14:33 | KRG.org

Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq - (KRG.org) – Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani received the new US Consul General to the Kurdistan Region, Mr Paul Sutphin, yesterday to welcome him to the Kurdistan Region.

Prime Minister Barzani congratulated Mr Sutphin on his new mission and encouraged him to explore ways of further expanding the scope of the US Consulate General’s activity, including greater trade and cultural ties.

Expressing his readiness to work with the authorities and institutions of Kurdistan, Mr Sutphin said, “The American people and government recognise and respect the struggle and suffering that the Kurdish people have had to endure to achieve today’s success, and I appreciate the warm welcome and hospitality of your people and the Kurdistan Regional Government”.

He also conveyed his hope that the Consulate General would be able to begin issuing visas in Erbil by the end of this year in order to help facilitate further exchange of visits.

During their meeting, they touched on the ongoing political crises in Iraq with Prime Minister Barzani saying, “The current disagreements can only be resolved through genuine power-sharing and by implementing the Iraqi Constitution. We have committed ourselves to a federal, democratic and pluralistic Iraq but we will not accept a return to dictatorship”.

Minister Falah Mustafa, Head of KRG Department of Foreign Relations, also participated in the meeting. Commenting on the arrival of Mr Sutphin, he said, “We appreciate the United States’ continued commitment to Kurdistan, and we want to encourage the strengthening of our ties, especially in the fields of education, culture and trade. By providing visas in Erbil, our students will be able to consider applying for universities in the United States in order to pursue their postgraduate studies there as a part of the KRG Human Capacity Development Programme”.

Mr Sutphin arrived in Kurdistan one week ago in order to take over the duties of his predecessor Mr Alex Laskaris, who has been nominated to serve as the next US Ambassador to the Republic of Guinea.

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