Nechirvan Barzani in Taipei and Seoul to promote friendly relations
- KurdishMedia.com - By Welat Lezgin
- 11/08/2004 00:00:00
The Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government, Nechirvan Barzani, visited Taiwan on Sunday, conducting talks with Taiwanese officials and is to visit the South Korean capital on Wednesday, as part of a program to promote friendly relations and economic assistance.
London (KurdishMedia.com) 11 August 2004: Nechirvan Barzani arrived in Taipei on Sunday with an eight-member delegation, seeking bilateral trade interaction with Taiwan. The Kurdish delegation visited the Taiwanese Foreign Affairs Ministry, the Economic Affairs Ministry, the Education Ministry and the Council of Agriculture.
This was the Kurdish Premier’s first visit to Taiwan, on an official invitation by the Taiwanese government.
During talks with Taiwan’s Prime Minister Yu Shyi-kun yesterday, Barzani was promised economic, educational, agricultural and labour training assistance to the Kurdistan Regional Government.
Premier Yu yesterday also offered three scholarships to students, as part of an effort to stimulate South Kurdistan’s understanding of Taiwan.
A Taiwanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs press release yesterday noted: "The Kurdish population in Iraq is about 7 million and the Kurdish people play a major role in the new Iraqi government, with the vice president, deputy prime minister, foreign minister as well as several ministers all hailing from the Kurdish region."
It was stated, "The main purpose of the visit is to boost bilateral trade, cultural exchange and agricultural cooperation. Reconstruction works are urgently needed in post-war Iraq, including Kurdistan."
It was also added in the press release, "The Kurdistan region is in urgent need of reconstruction, and that although the reconstruction projects have sufficient funding, they lack related technology and information, and Taiwan has something to offer in the reconstruction efforts."
A Taiwanese official was quoted by Taipei Times saying, "Barzani’s delegation of trade officials is eager to establish trade opportunities with Taiwan. It is particularly interested in Taiwan’s information technology industry," adding, "Kurdistan is rich in oil and talks on how to develop the region’s oil fields with Taiwan are also on the delegation’s agenda."
Promoting friendly relations in Seoul
Nechirwan Barzani and his team are expected to arrive in Seoul today as part of a program to promote friendly relations on the occasion of South Korea’s troop dispatch to South Kurdistan.
Barzani is expected to stay in Seoul between August 11-14 to have meetings with top South Korean officials including Prime Minister Lee Hai-chan.
The Kurdish delegation’s trip is part of a program organized by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), under the wing of the Korean Foreign Ministry, to increase pro-South Korean sentiment among Kurdish officials.
The Korea Times quoted Defence Ministry spokesman Brig. Gen. Nam Dae-youn saying in a press briefing, "Officials will discuss the nation’s additional troop deployment in Iraq with the Kurdish delegation, while seeking support from the Iraqi officials."
Kurdish Premier Barzani is also scheduled to visit Korean industrial and cultural facilities.
South Korea plans to increase its troops in Iraq to 3,600 by sending about 3,000 more soldiers to Arbil, South Kurdistan, in the coming months for rehabilitation works.
The above news article was compiled with local information from the Taipei Times, eTaiwan News and Korea Times.
- KurdishMedia.com - By Welat Lezgin
- 11/08/2004 00:00:00