ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Monday received Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), to discuss regional developments.
During their meeting in the Kurdistan Region capital of Erbil, both sides “discussed the latest developments in Iraq,” a statement on the Kurdish prime minister’s website read.
Prime Minister Barzani and Hennis-Plasschaert underlined the “difficult circumstances” that Iraq is experiencing and noted that “all parties [must] take into account the sensitivity of the situation.”
Iraq has been engulfed in nationwide anti-government protests, which began in October 2019. The demonstrations have spilled into the new year as Iraqis continue to call for an end to corruption and unemployment.
Other regional factors such as the escalation in tensions between the United States and Iran have also affected Iraq as military bases in the country have been frequently targeted in attacks.
“The two sides indicated that further escalation of the situation would not be in the interests of the Iraqis or the region in general,” the statement continued. “They also stressed the need to maintain security and stability in Iraq and the region.”