PM Masrour Barzani and Italian defense minister agree ‘war on ISIS is far from over’

Kurdistan 24 2022/02/18 19:42

Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani (right) during his meeting with Italian Defense Minister Lorenzo Guerini, on the sideline of MSC 2022 in Germany, Feb. 18, 2022. (Photo: KRG)

Kurdistan Kurdistan Italy MSC2022 Munich Germany

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – At the Munich Security Conference on Friday, the Kurdistan Region Prime Minister, Masrour Barzani, agreed with the Italian Defense Minister, Lorenzo Guerini, that the fight against ISIS is “far from over.”

Prime Minister Barzani arrived in Germany’s Bavaria region on Thursday to take part in the 58th session of the Munich Security Conference.

“We can’t afford distractions,” Barzani said in a tweet on Friday, adding that he had agreed with Italian chief defense officials that the fight against the extremist group is far from over.

As a part of the international coalition against ISIS, Italy provided the Kurdistan Region’s Peshmerga forces with military training and other necessary tools needed to defeat the terror group during their three-year-long fight.

“Italy has been a good friend and partner,” the Kurdish prime minister said.

In September 2020, Barzani received Guerini in the Kurdistan Region’s capital, Erbil, where they discussed the fight against ISIS and efforts to stabilize the region.

According to his office, the Prime Minister is set to meet with a number of regional officials and world leaders during his stay in Germany, including the United Nations Secretary General António Guterres, and President of the European Union Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.