ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Many foreign diplomats congratulated and welcomed on Tuesday the ascension of Nechirvan Barzani to the Kurdistan Region's presidency, saying they look forward to working with him to make the most of the opportunities ahead and further development.
“I would like first of all to congratulate the newly elected president. I think it is a very important step that will set also in motion the government formation. We really encourage this process and we think it is extremely important for the KRG to be fully operational,” Ramon Blecau, the European Union Ambassador to Iraq, told Rudaw in Erbil.
“It is a critical moment for the region and also the stability of Iraq. And I think the contribution of the process here in Kurdistan is extremely important.”
Ramon Blecau, EU Ambassador to Iraq, in Erbil on May 28, 2019. Video: Rudaw
Blecau expressed regret that the election of Barzani didn’t proceed in accordance with the Kurdistan Democratic Party’s (KDP) government formation deal with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).
“We will have been glad if this was the result of the political agreement that had been negotiated. It is regretful that sometimes party politics could be an obstacle to it. But I am sure the Kurdish political leaders will manage to solve this and really find the necessary consensus to put this process forward in the best interest of the Kurdish people,” he told Rudaw.
“It is regretful that intraparty politics have put at risk [the] KDP-PUK agreement when KRI [Kurdistan Region of Iraq] needs consensus,” his tweet reads on the same matter.
However, Blecau expressed optimism about further improvement of relations between the Kurdistan Region and EU under Barzani’s presidency.
“I believe he is extremely well-positioned to really push for this operation between KRG and European Union even further...” adding that talks have already been started to this end.
French Consul General to Erbil Dominique Mas congratulated Barzani and called on him and all political leaders in the Kurdistan Region to “now work hard in order to fulfill the commitments taken during the electoral campaign about providing social services, about providing security, about providing jobs.”
Mas said relations between France and the Kurdistan Region go back a long way and that these relations will continue under Barzani’s presidency.
French Consul General to Erbil Dominique Mas in Erbil on May 28, 2019. Video: Rudaw
“Our relations won’t change … as long as we can together, France and Kurdistan, work for the benefit of the people of Kurdistan.”
With the election, the “Kurdistan Region is facing with very important and historic opportunity for development,” Chinese Consul General to Erbil Ni Ruchi told Rudaw.
“I am ready to work with him to promote the relationship and the cooperation between China and Kurdistan Region in political, economic, cultural and other fields to make greater progress,” he added. “The friendship between China and Kurdistan Region has a long-standing history."
Chinese Consul General to Erbil Ni Ruchi in Erbil on May 28, 2019. Video: Rudaw
The Republic of Korea’s Consul General to Erbil Choi Kwang-Jin sees Barzani’s presidency as an opportunity for Seoul and Erbil to strengthen ties.
“I believe that he will bring about new leaf of the bilateral relationship history in terms of the political exchange, economic cooperation, and personal relationship, and so on,” Kwang-Jin told Rudaw.
Choi Kwang-Jin, the Republic of Korea’s Consul General to Erbil on May 28, 2019. Video: Rudaw
British Consulate-General Martyn Warr said the president-elect has demonstrated he is willing to engage in talks and to reach compromises.
“The UK has always enjoyed very good relations with Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani. We are very confident we will enjoy even better relations with President Nechirvan Barzani.
Martyn Warr, British Consulate-General to Erbil on May 28, 2019. Video: Rudaw
“What is often needed in regional affairs, economic affairs, political affairs, diplomatic affairs is conversation, dialogue, compromise. And we think Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani has demonstrated all of those qualities in abundance over the last few years. So we’re looking forward to more of that, including in our relationship with the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.”
Katsumi Moriyasu, the Japanese consulate’s Head of Office, hailed Barzani's "distinguished" leadership.
“We all are confident in his distinguished leadership based upon his long political career and deep insight. He is capable of addressing all the issues the Region is facing domestically, nationally, and internationally. I am also very optimistic that our bilateral relations, between Japan and the Kurdistan Region, will develop under his wise guidance.”
Katsumi Moriyasu, the Japanese consulate’s Head of Office in Erbil on May 28, 2019. Video: Rudaw
One of Iraq's main trading partners, Iran, offered their congratulations to its neighbour. “The election of his Excellency Nechirvan Barzani will lead to a brighter path in relations between Iran and the Kurdistan Region,” Iran Consul General to Sulaimani Saadullah Masoudian told Rudaw.
Barzani graduated from the University of Tehran and is fluent in Farsi.
Erbil has said it will follow Baghdad's lead amid mounting tensions between Iran and the US.
The US Embassy in Iraq also welcomed the occasion, expressing the desire to work with the Kurdish leader in his new role.
“We look forward to continuing our work and cooperation together in his new role over the next four years,” the embassy tweeted.
The US State Department later said it is confident that Barzani would remain "a close partner."
“We’ve worked with him on many important issues, including regional security, economic reform, and repairing relations between the KRG and the government of Iraq,” State Department Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus responded to a question from Rudaw’s Namo Abdulla at a press in Washington, D.C.
Hennis-Plasschaert, the UNAMI head in Iraq, congratulated Barzani in a tweet, saying, "The UN family in Iraq looks forward to working closely with him".
British Ambassador to Iraq Jon Wilks also expressed his congratulations, saying: “We need to come together as Kurds and Iraqis with friends like the UK to make the most of the opportunities before us.”
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu congratulated Barzani by telephone, state media in Turkey reported.
Former Presidential Envoy Brett McGurk also congratulated Barzani, describing him in a tweet as one of the “few more skilled and talented leaders, which the Middle East region needs at such an important time.”
Domestic officials react
Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi congratulated Nechirvan Barzani on his election as President of Kurdistan Region, according to a post on Abdul-Mahdi's Facebook page.
The presidential selection drew reactions from across Iraq too.
Speaker of the Iraqi parliament Mohammad al-Halbousi congratulated Barzani.
Halbousi “expressed confidence in the efficiency and vision of Mr. Barzani, which will enable him to succeed in the performance of his duties, wishing for the presidency and the people of Kurdistan region progress and prosperity.”
Mohammed Penjweni, a Kurdish politician seen as close to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), showed optimism in Barzani’s ability to live up to expectations and tackle the problems of the Region.
“I believe Mr Nechirvan will succeed in resolving important problems in the Kurdistan Region and in neighboring countries,” Penjweni told Rudaw, adding Barzani can also “strengthen relations with other parts of Kurdistan and political parties.”
“Mr Nechirvan Barzani deserves to be president of the Kurdistan Region because he has experience running the government and using diplomacy in resolving problems within the Kurdistan Region and he was successful.”
Following the fallout in domestic and international relations between Erbil and others after the independence referendum and events of October 16, 2017, Barzani as prime minister of the Kurdistan Regional Regional (KRG) worked — largely successfully — to re-establish them at home, regionally, and abroad.
Barzani was elected to fill the vacant post of president by the Kurdistan Region parliament on Tuesday. He secured 68 votes with four opponents receiving none.
The president-elect is deputy of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) the largest party in the Kurdistan Region. The second largest is the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) with 21 seats in the parliamentary body. It boycotted the session on Tuesday, claiming the KDP has acted unilaterally in regards to resetting the presidency law.
Update 11:25 p.m.
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