Lord Tariq Ahmad, the UK’s Minister of State for South Asia and the Commonwealth, recently visited Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region, where he met with several key political leaders and discussed shared challenges such as climate change, security, human rights, and freedom of religion and belief.
During his trip, Lord Ahmad met with President Abdul Latif Rashid, Prime Minister Mohammad Shia Al Sudani, Minister for Foreign Affairs Fuad Hussein, and National Security Advisor Qasim al-Araji in Baghdad. He also visited Erbil where he met with Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) President Nechirvan Barzani, Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, Minister of Interior Rebar Ahmed, Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani, & Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) President Masoud Barzani.
The discussions focused on various shared challenges, including climate change, security, and human rights. Lord Ahmad also emphasized the importance of deepening the historic relationship between the UK and Iraq on trade and education, supporting priority areas of economic and digital reform in Iraq, and working together on regional and international issues of common interest, such as the global implications of the Russia-Ukraine war.
One of the central themes of Lord Ahmad’s trip was the shared commitment to freedom of religion or belief. He visited some of Iraq’s most significant religious sites and met with a wide range of representatives from Iraq’s religious and faith communities, including Ayatollah Hussein Al-Sadr in Baghdad & representatives of the Yazidi community at the Temple. He also bestowed an MBE on Reverend Cannon Faez Jerjes of St George’s Anglican Church.
During his meetings with senior politicians, civil society, and religious leaders, Lord Ahmad discussed the human rights situation in Iraq, particularly the issues faced by survivors of Da’esh atrocities. He welcomed the passing of the Yazidi survivors’ law in 2021 and reiterated the UK’s continued commitment to help the Iraqi government fully implement the law. Additionally, during his visit to Duhok, he discussed the situation for Internally Displaced Persons and the importance of supporting their return and safe integration back into Iraqi society.
In Erbil, Lord Ahmad met with several key political leaders, including the President, Prime Minister, and Deputy Prime Minister of the KRG, the Foreign Minister and Minister of Interior, as well as the President of the KDP and the President of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan. At the Department of Information Technology, he discovered the aid the UK is providing to assist the Kurdistan Region of Iraq in carrying out digital reform.
Lord Ahmad’s visit underscored the importance of interfaith dialogue in Iraq, as well as Iraq’s rich religious and ethnic diversity. He expressed his delight at the flourishing relationship between the UK and Iraq and the commitment of both countries to address shared challenges.
Lord Ahmad’s visit to Iraq and the Kurdistan Region highlights the importance of international cooperation in addressing critical issues such as climate change, human rights, and security. The UK’s continued commitment to helping Iraq fully implement the Yazidi survivors’ law and supporting economic and digital reform in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region will undoubtedly strengthen the relationship between the two countries.
Source: Gov[Dot]UK
