Nashville, Tennessee - USA (KRG.org) - A Kurdistan Regional Government delegation, led by Minister Falah Mustafa, met representatives of the Kurdish community and city officials in Nashville at the start of a week-long visit to the United States.

 

Minister Mustafa, Head of the Department of Foreign Relations, is accompanied by Bayan Sami Abdul Rahman, the KRG Representative to the UK, and staff of the KRG Representation to the United States. The delegation is visiting Nashville and Washington DC to update officials on developments in Kurdistan, Iraq as a whole and neighbouring countries.

 

In Nashville, Mr Mustafa updated representatives of the community on the forthcoming elections, the influx of  Syrian refugees and relations with Baghdad and bordering countries.

 

He said that the KRG appreciated the role Kurds around the world play, for example, in raising awareness of the need for international recognition of the Kurdish genocide in Iraq. He also emphasised the role they can play in strengthening ties with the United States.

 

The delegation took note of the concerns and comments raised by the community and encouraged them to continue to build a strong relationship with their host country.

 

Mr Mustafa said, 'I am pleased to have had the opportunity to meet members of the community and to hear direct from them their observations. We encourage them to be good citizens of their host country and to build a healthy relationship between Kurdistan and America.'

 

The delegation also met with the mayor of Nashville, Karl Dean, and the chief of police Steve Anderson, who expressed their commitment to serving the Kurdish community as citizens of their city and of Tennessee. Mayor Dean described the Kurds as an asset to the city while Chief Anderson spoke of the cooperation his officers receive from the community.

 

During their three-day visit to Nashville, Minister Mustafa and his delegation also met Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn, a member of the Kurdish-American Caucus. They discussed the political process in Iraq and the concerns raised by the situation in Syria which has led about 200,000 refugees to seek shelter in the Kurdistan Region. 

 

Minister Mustafa said the international community needs to provide more assistance to the refugees who will be facing a winter in their camps in a few months time. The delegation also highlighted the recognition of the Kurdish genocide by the British and other parliaments and hoped that Congress would do the same.

 

Cogresswoman Blackburn said she and fellow Caucus members watch developments with interest and expressed her support for Kurdistan. She and the delegation discussed mechanisms for possible recognition of the genocide in the United States.

 

While in Nashville, the delegation also attended the Kurdish Arts Festival organised by the Kurdish Cultural Institute and part-sponsored by the KRG. They also attended a community celebration. Ms Abdul Rahman said, 'We in the KRG believe in building ties with other nations, not just through political and commercial means but also through cultural activities. It's pleasing to see the Kurds in Nashville engaged in these activities.'

 

The delegation begins a round of meetings with government officials and Congressmen in Washington DC on Monday.