Erbil, Kurdistan - Iraq (KRG.org) - In response to terrorism, Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani affirmed yesterday that the people and government will not be deterred from rebuilding the Kurdistan Region. At a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a five-star luxury hotel complex, the Prime Minister said, "Projects such as this are our response to the destructive activities of terrorists. Whatever they do, they cannot stop our progress."

The Prime Minister expressed condolences to the families and friends of those who died in a recent terrorism explosion, and wished the injured a full and rapid recovery.

The Park Hotel is being financed by investors through the Elegan Group and will be managed by Kempinski Hotels, a European company with 100 hotels and a 110-year history. Prime Minister Barzani said The Park Kempinski Hotel is one of the first major foreign investment projects in the Kurdistan Region.

The ceremony was also inaugurated by the general manager of Kempinski Hotels, Mr. Michael Sorgenfrey, along with members of the Elegan Group. Mr. Paul Brinkley of the US Department of Defense with a business group from the United States also attended the ceremony.

Prime Minister Barzani said that the resources of Iraq should be used in the best interests of the country. He emphasized the Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) commitment to a unified, federal, pluralistic and democratic Iraq where the rule of law prevails, and which is governed in accordance with the Constitution. He stressed the KRG's obligation to improve its service to the people by promoting transparency and accountability and dealing with corruption.

See also Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani’s speech at the hotel groundbreaking ceremony