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Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani met Italian President Sergio Mattarella in Rome on May 19, 2026. Photo: Kurdistan Region Presidency
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani met Italian President Sergio Mattarella in Rome on Tuesday, discussing bilateral ties and Italy’s support for Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.
“I’m delighted to meet Italian President Sergio Mattarella today in Rome and discuss the longstanding friendship between the Kurdistan Region, Iraq, and Italy,” President Barzani said in a post on X. “We emphasized our shared desire to further broaden ties across various fields.”
The meeting comes as Iraq and the wider region continue to face political tensions, security concerns, and humanitarian challenges, with both sides emphasizing coexistence, tolerance, and interfaith dialogue.
“I thanked Italy for its steadfast support to Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, including its political, humanitarian, and development role, as well as its military assistance during the war against terror,” President Barzani added.
The meeting was part of Barzani’s two-day visit to Rome. On Monday, he met Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican, where he reaffirmed the Kurdistan Region’s commitment to protecting Christians and other religious communities.
Rome and Erbil maintain close ties, and Italy upgraded its consulate in Erbil to a consulate general in 2024.
Italy is a member of the US-led global coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS), formed in 2014 after the group seized large parts of Iraq and Syria. Italian forces have played a key role in training Kurdish Peshmerga forces.
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