ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Kurdistan
Democratic Party (KDP) leader Masoud Barzani met on Sunday with Greek
Ambassador to Iraq Leonidas Kontovounesios and discussed the latest
political developments in the region.

Kontovounesios was accompanied by the
Consul-General of the Hellenic Republic to Erbil, Efthymios
Costopoulos. The meeting took place in Erbil.

According to a statement from Barzani’s
office, the two sides discussed a range of topics including bilateral
Erbil-Athens ties, the political situation in Iraq, and the fight
against the so-called Islamic State.

Barzani and Kontovounesios reviewed
Erbil-Bagdad relations, which have seen progress recently amid
ongoing disputes over oil production and the national budget.

Related Article: Baghdad-Erbil oil
disputes ‘solvable,’ Iraqi oil minister says

The two sides also stressed the need to
develop bilateral relations between the people of the Kurdistan
Region and Greece and discussed the situation of the Kurdish
community in Greece, according to Barzani’s office.

The Greek ambassador praised the role
of the Peshmerga forces in the fight against terrorism, the statement
added.

Athens upgraded its representative office in the Kurdistan Region in late 2018, with the stated aim of strengthening bilateral relations with the autonomous Kurdish region.

“I am very proud to open the consulate and be the first Consul-General of Greece in Erbil. This was the decision that was taken because we believe our relations with the Kurdistan Region of Iraq are very important,” Costopoulos told Kurdistan 24 in early February.

The Consul-General has since met with senior Kurdish leaders and officials several times.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany

kurdistan24.net