Today, Mrs. Rezan Kader met with Amb. Antonio Zanardi Landi, Diplomatic Adviser to the President of the Republic, Giorgio Napolitano.
Mrs. Kader has presented the official position of the Presidency of the Region, of the Kurdistan Regional Government and the situation in the Kurdistan Region in the light of recent events in Iraq.
The High Representative announced Amb. Zanardi Landi that the Presidency of the Kurdistan Region had already alarmed the central government in Baghdad of the danger posed by the rebels Isis, who were preparing to launch a major offensive in western Iraq.
The government of al-Maliki has failed to adequately represent all the components of Iraq and never took seriously the threat from the rebels Isis.
In this context, the peshmerga forces have been made ​​available to the defense of the Kurdistan Region, even in those areas of contention, of Kurdish majority, as Kirkuk, in order to protect the Kurdish people and to guarantee freedom and democracy, as well as to protect energy resources in the area, despite the lack of financial support from Baghdad.
The Presidency and the Kurdistan Regional Government have repeatedly said that the main priority at the moment is not to occupy any territory, but rather to defend the rule of law and peaceful settlement of the situation at political level. In this way, the Prime Minister Al Maliki should step aside to allow the restoration of peace and the building of a new Iraq.
Actually, there is a tripartite division of Iraq, so that the Kurdistan Region is almost completely detached from the rest of Iraq, having been formed, in the middle,  another entity governed by the forces of ISIS, which enjoys a territory and a considerable economic power, which makes them more dangerous.

In this context, if it is not possible to form a government of national unity, where is fully applied the Iraqi constitution, the country will evaluate the possibility of detaching formally, according to the will of people. In this regard, the President of the Region, Masoud Barzani asked the Parliament to start organizing a referendum on 'independence. The Kurdistan Region has shown extensively to be able to run stably the country and in respect of all existing ethnic and religious components, even in difficult conditions, such as these ones, to be able to defend its territory and its population and to be economically independent.
In this frame, the support of the international community is crucial, especially to cope with the humanitarian emergency in progress. Therefore, the Amb. Zanardi Landi asked Mrs. Kader information on the situation of refugees in the country. The Kurdistan Region - said Mrs. Kader - is providing shelter and assistance to thousands of refugees from the rest of Iraq, which add up to the Syrian refugees, persecuted Christians in Iraq and the Middle East and all Iraqis tired of 'instability and lack of security in Iraq. Special protection has been given to the Christian community, which is protected in Erbil, the capital.
In addition, Amb. Zanardi Landi asked Mrs. Kader about relations with neighboring countries and the position of the major powers, including the United States, Turkey and Russia, against the occurrence of a total detachment from Iraq.
Mrs. Kader said that the Kurdistan Region has always built and established good neighborly relations, i.e. with Iran, Syria and Turkey. With Turkey, there has been some very important steps, thanks to the diplomatic ability of the leaders of the respective countries, Prime Minister Erdogan and President Barzani in the management of the Kurdish question. Also with regard to Syria, the President Barzani has always invited the Syrian Kurds to dialogue with the central government in order to be able to coexist peacefully in the same territory.
In light of recent events, the United States and many countries of the European Union, have expressed the urgent need to form a national unity government that represents all parts of Iraq totally implementing the constitution. Some countries, such as Russia, have not taken a clear position. Israel, according to a statement from the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said that people of Kurdistan, reliable and moderate, deserve political independence.
In conclusion, the support of the international community and in the specific case of Italy is very important to protect the path of democracy led by the Kurdistan Regional Government.