“We in the Kurdistan Region aspire to draw upon Estonia’s expertise and successive experiences across various fields, such as information technology and e-governance, of which they are successful in,” Barzani said.
Karis arrived in Erbil earlier in the day, marking the first ever trip of an Estonian president to the Region.
“I am happy to have had the chance to personally witness the developments that Kurdish people have made,” Karis said.
“Estonia has throughout the years actively engaged in diverse international forums that contribute to the security and stability of Iraq,” he added.
Estonia's Minister of Defense Hanno Pevkur traveled to Baghdad in August where he met with Iraqi Prime Minster Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani. The two discussed boosting bilateral relations between Iraq and Estonia, including in the fields of counterterrorism, economic partnership, and cybersecurity.
Pevkur also met with President Barzani and Prime Minister Masrour Barzani in Erbil as part of his visit.
Ahead of the visit by the defense minister, the Estonian foreign ministry told Rudaw that the Kurdistan Region has been Tallinn’s most successful cooperator in the information and communication (ICT) department since 2014
Estonia has been a member of the US-led global coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS) since 2016. The country deployed a unit of up to 110 members to Erbil in April, responsible for manning the base defense, rapid response, and providing security for advisors during activities outside the Erbil airbase.
“We conveyed our appreciation to the people and government of Estonia for their support to Iraq and the Kurdistan Region within the framework of the coalition against ISIS,” President Barzani said.
Karis expressed his condolences to the victims of the deadly attack launched by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Erbil on Monday, which left four dead and 17 injured.
“My sincere condolences to the local people who have lost their lives in yesterday’s attack,” he said.
In the late hours of Monday, Iran’s IRGC launched 10 ballistic missiles toward the Kurdistan Region’s capital of Erbil, under the pretext of targeting “spy headquarters” of anti-Iran groups, killing at least four and wounding 17 others.
The target in question was the house of Kurdish businessman Peshraw Dizayee, the owner of Falcon Group which runs major projects such as Empire World, who later succumbed to his injuries.
Apart from Dizayee, the strike's victims include his eleven-month-old daughter, Zhina, a housekeeper, and Iraqi businessman Karam Mikhail, who was visiting his Kurdish friend. His older son, Roj, 25, lost a hand in the strike. Rawan, his other son, is slightly injured.
Monday’s deadly attack on Erbil was widely condemned by Kurdish and Iraqi officials and authorities, including the Iraqi foreign ministry which announced early Wednesday morning that Baghdad officially submitted a complaint against Iran to the UN Security Council, and the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
