Masoud Barzani

On the occasion of the New Year, I convey my sincere congratulations to the dear citizens of Kurdistan, especially the families and loved ones of our martyrs and the brave Peshmerga forces.

On this occasion, we feel that it is necessary to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the people of Kurdistan for their steadfastness and sacrifices.

Thanks to His Almighty, the sacrifices of the Peshmerga forces and the steadfastness of our people, the Kurdistan Region is now heading towards more growth, reform, and stability.

Given the situation in Iraq, we have always wished for finding solutions to the problems in pursuit of ensuring a decent life for all Iraqis. During the past years, we have repeatedly warned of Iraq’s approach to the abyss, and we emphasized that failure to follow the principles of civil rule, and failure to implement the Constitution, will lead to negative consequences. We are now following, with great concern, the recent events and changes in Iraq, and we stress the necessity of not allowing the Iraqi parties to turn the country into an arena for resolving conflicts at the expense of others’ interests.

It is fitting to also reiterate that we fully support the legitimate demands of the demonstrators. However, we reject any efforts that seek to undermine democracy and threaten the rights of the people of Kurdistan.

We also emphasize the promotion of the values of coexistence, which has become an important reason for harmony and fraternity between the religious and national components in Kurdistan.

In conclusion, it is our sincere hope that the new year will bring more goodness and happiness to all citizens of Kurdistan and Iraq, and that peace will prevail in our region and the world at large.

Masoud Barzani
December 31, 2019