"For us, Iraq is important. Why? Because if [there is] an earthquake in Iraq, we sense the waves in Austria," Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg told Rudaw's Zinar Shino.
"So, stability and security in Iraq is essential for our security and stability. That is why I am so interested, that is why we invest and I hope we can continue to invest," he added.
During his meeting with President Barzani, the Austrian foreign minister said they discussed “security cooperation” between Erbil and Vienna, and "unacceptable Iranian attacks and missile attacks which killed innocent people."
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on January 15 carried out a ballistic missile attack on Erbil, killing at least four civilians including Peshraw Dizayee, a prominent businessman. Tehran claimed to have hit the “spy headquarters” of anti-Iran groups in the Kurdistan Region.
The Kurdistan Region Presidency said in a statement that President Barzani and Schallenberg "reiterated their commitment to further enhance bilateral cooperation."
The Munich Security Conference (MSC) is a meeting of global leaders to discuss matters related to international security policy. Barzani arrived in Munich late on Thursday and will have multiple high-level meetings over the three days of the conference.
