Senior UN envoy wraps up visit to Kurdistan region of northern Iraq

The top United Nations envoy to Iraq has met with senior Government figures, lawmakers and other UN officials during a two-day visit to the northern region of Kurdistan aimed at boosting the world body’s engagement in the region.

Ad Melkert, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative and the head of the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI), held productive meetings with a range of officials, according to a press release issued by the mission.

They included President Massoud Barzani; Barham Salih, the Deputy Iraqi Prime Minister; Kamal Karkouki, the Speaker of the Kurdistan Iraqi Parliament; other senior officials of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG); and representatives of UN agencies, funds and programmes that provide support in the region.

In July the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq held regional, parliamentary and presidential elections, recording a high and peaceful voter turnout.