Following his visit to Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region, Lord
Tariq Ahmad, welcomed the UK and Iraq’s commitment to working
together on shared challenges such as climate change, security,
human rights and freedom of religion and belief.
During his visit he met President Mr Abdul Latif Rashid, Prime
Minister Mohammad Shia Al Sudani, Minister for Foreign Affairs,
Fuad Hussein, and National Security Advisor Qasim al-Araji.
In Erbil, he met KRI President Nechirvan
Barzani, Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, as well as Minister of
Interior, Mr Rebar Ahmed; Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Qubad
Talabani and KDP
President, Mr Masoud Barzani.
Discussions focused on shared challenges such as climate change,
security, and human rights; deepening our historic relationship
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, including the global
implications of the Russia-Ukraine war.
The shared collective commitment to freedom of religion or belief
was central to Lord Ahmad’s trip. He visited some of Iraq’s most
significant religious sites and met with a wide range of
representatives of Iraq’s religious and faith communities,
including Ayatollah Hussein Al-Sadr, in Baghdad and
representatives of the Yazidi community at the Lalish Temple.
He also bestowed an MBE on the
Reverend Cannon Faez Jerjes of St George’s Anglican Church. Lord
Ahmed’s discussions focussed on Iraq’s rich religious and ethnic
diversity and the importance of interfaith dialogue in Iraq.
In meetings with senior politicians, civil society and religious
leaders Lord Ahmad discussed the human rights situation in Iraq,
especially issues facing survivors of Da’esh atrocities. Lord
Ahmad 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.
During his visit to Duhok, he also discussed the situation for
Internally Displaced Persons and the importance of supporting
their return and safe integration back into Iraqi society.
During his visit to Erbil, Lord Ahmad met with the President,
Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of the Kurdistan
Regional Government, Foreign Minister and Minister of Interior as
well as the President of the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the
President of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan. He visited the
Department of Information Technology, where he learned about the
support the UK is providing to help the Kurdistan Region of Iraq
deliver digital reform.
Speaking at the end of his visit, Lord Ahmad said:
I am delighted to have returned to Iraq and the Kurdistan region
to see how the relationship between our 2 countries is continuing
to flourish. I am especially pleased that we are working together
to address shared challenges such as climate change, human rights
and security.
I was honoured to visit some of Iraq’s impressive and important
religious sites and to meet religious leaders. This underlined
the richness of Iraq’s religious and ethnic diversity, the need
to protect freedom of religion or belief and the importance of
interfaith dialogue.
I was glad to see that progress has been made with the passage of
the Yazidi Survivors Law, but from my conversations with
survivors it was clear they need continued support and full
access to justice. The UK is committed to helping Iraq fully
implement the Yazidi Survivors Law.
I was impressed with what I saw at the Kurdistan Regional
Government’s state of the art Department of Information
Technology I’m delighted the UK is able to support ambitious
reform programmes in Iraq and the Kurdistan region. Meeting with
business leaders and inspiring young professionals underlined
that developing new economic expertise and encouraging bilateral
investment and trade is of vital importance.
