Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi says the Kurdistan Region’s stability and security is essential to Italy.

Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani and his delegates visited Rome on Monday, where they were welcomed by Renzi.

Barzani thanked Italy for sending humanitarian and military aid to the Kurdistan Region and said that Renzi’s visit in 2014 showed the world that global leaders support the region.

They discussed the current situation in the Kurdistan Region, advances of the Peshmerga and the conditions for refugees and IDPs – a challenge that the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is finding ever more difficult to address, with a requirement that the international community provide more aid.

Renzi reasserted that they will continue to donate military and humanitarian aid to the region.

The Italian PM joined other world leaders in thanking the Peshmerga for their actions and sacrifices in fighting Islamic State (IS). He said that Italy considers itself a friend of the Kurdish people, and recognises the region as strategically vital.

By increasing consular representation in Erbil, Renzi announced Italy is confirming the importance of the Kurdistan Region, which should be seen as becoming more stable and secure by the entire world.

Elsewhere on the agenda, the leaders discussed the relationship between Erbil and Baghdad, Mosul, how to tackle IS, and the importance of developing a more inclusive political environment in Iraq.

In addressing the situation in Syria and its impact on Iraq, it was agreed that a political solution needs to be pursued.

Source: BasNews