Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq (cabinet.gov.krd) - Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani received Ms. Joanne Loundes, Australia's new ambassador to Iraq and her accompanying delegation.

Ms. Loundes expressed her satisfaction with her first visit to the Kurdistan Region, commending the security and the stability that prevail in the Region.

She praised the Peshmerga forces for their role in defeating terrorism and protecting religious and ethnic communities who fled ISIS persecution and took refuge in Kurdistan. She also expressed her appreciation to the people and government of the Kurdistan Region for hosting and assisting a large number of displaced persons and refugees.

She noted that the recent resumption of talks between the Kurdistan Region and Iraqi federal government that led to the resolution of some of the differences, will help the return of confidence in the Region’s stability, that can motivate investors in her country to invest in various sectors in Kurdistan and Iraq.

Prime Minister Barzani stressed the importance of Kurdistan Region’s relations with Australia. He pointed to the conditions that the Kurdistan Region can offer for reconstruction of other parts of Iraq, that can, due to the stability that prevail in the Region and its progressive investment law, be of great importance to the future of Iraq.

The upcoming Iraqi elections, the cooperation between the Kurdistan Region and Baghdad to prevent the recurrence of violence, as well as the recent positive steps taken to settle the disputes, were also discussed in the meeting.