The Prime Minister of Iraqi Kurdistan, Masrour Barzani, was accompanied by a delegation of ministers to visit the Community of Sant'Egidio. He met President Marco Impagliazzo and other representatives of the Community.
Among the different topics that were discussed in the lengthy conversation, there were also the stabilization of the Middle East, the future of Iraq's Christians, and the social and institutional development of the region. Specifically, today, about 90 percent of Iraq's Christians live in the Iraqi Kurdistan zone.
The situation of the approximately 1.4 million Syrian refugees and internally displaced persons, who are now located in Iraqi Kurdistan, was even examined. Subsequently, possible areas of cooperation with the Community were explored, particularly in the areas of humanitarian aid for the refugees and support for the health system. Moreover, humanitarian corridors were evoked during the talks as a model for immigration policy.
The Prime Minister thanked the Community for its work when it comes to peace, interreligious dialogue, and its role in fostering political dialogue in South Sudan and in the Central African Republic. In the end, he reaffirmed his commitment to the realization of a society that is attentive to religious pluralism and inclusiveness.