Krg.org

Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq, (KRG.org) - Kurdistan Region Prime Minister, Nechirvan Barzani, today attended the opening ceremony of the Consulate General of People's Republic of China in Erbil, the last permanent member of the United Nations Security Council to open its Consulate General in Erbil.

The ceremony was also attended by the Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister, Mr. Zhang Ming, his accompanying delegation, Kurdistan Regional Government Deputy Prime Minister, Qubad Talabani, and a number of KRG officials and representatives of foreign diplomatic missions in Erbil.

In a speech he made, Prime Minister Barzani considered opening the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in the Kurdistan Region as "the first step towards building a new phase in bilateral relations, which would provide a great opportunity to expand our relations in the political, economic, infrastructural and cultural domains."

He thanked the People's Republic of China for the humanitarian assistance, provided to Kurdistan region.

Following is the text of the speech

Distinguished Guests,

Good Evening,

I am pleased to be with you to participate in this opening ceremony of the People’s Republic of China Consulate General in Erbil. First, I would like to welcome Mr. Zhang Ming, Deputy Foreign Minister of the People’s Republic of China, and his accompanying delegation. They are visiting Erbil especially to attend this ceremony.

Undoubtedly, as a major and successful world economy and as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, the People’s Republic of China has a distinctive influential position and presence at the international level. The Kurdistan Region has adopted an ‘open door’ policy and has long wished to have strong ties with the People’s Republic of China, and to build friendly relations based on common interests with this important country.

Opening the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China, which has an old relation with Iraq, in the Kurdistan Region is the first step towards building a new phase in bilateral relations. This will provide a great opportunity to expand our relations in the political, economic, infrastructural, and cultural domains. This would particularly help us in the Kurdistan Region to benefit from the rich and successful experience of China in all fields.

With the opening of the People’s Republic of China Consulate General in Erbil, all the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council will now be officially represented in Erbil. This both honours and delights us.

We look toward further support and assistance from the international community to better defeat terrorism, which is a real and serious threat to all humanity, as much as we look forward to partners for reconstruction and development.

Fortunately, today the Kurdistan Region is not alone.  Our brave Peshmerga forces are fighting terrorists on the ground and sacrificing for our well-being. They are on the offensive and pushing ISIS back on a daily basis. The assistance of friends, particularly airstrikes, representing vital support for our Peshmerga forces, have boosted the morale of the people of Kurdistan and are worthy of commendation.

With the opening of its consulate general in Erbil, we hope and look forward to the People’s Republic of China providing military and humanitarian support so that we can better assist approximately two million internally displaced people and Syrian refugees who have taken refuge in our Region.

The Kurdistan Region is today in the forefront in the international arena. We are delighted that the People’s Republic of China today is keen to further strengthen its ties with us. Opening its consulate general in Erbil shows China’s trust in the presence and future of the Kurdistan Region and its important position at the international level.

I would like to thank Mr. Tan Banglin, China’s Consul General, for his eagerness to develop his country’s relations with the Kurdistan Region even prior to his appointment.  I wish him success in his new endeavour.

Last but not the least, I would like to express my gratitude to the People's Republic of China for the humanitarian assistance, provided to Kurdistan region.

Thank you to you all.
Welcome once again. I wish you a very happy and successful new year.