On 30 August Minister-president Geert Bourgeois welcomed a delegation headed by dr. Ali Sindi, Minister of Planning and Economy in the Kurdistan Regional Government (Northern Iraq). During his official visit to Kurdistan in April, Bourgeois had, in turn, invited Sindi for a visit.
Minister Sindi and the Minister-president discussed the war against ISIS and its humanitarian consequences for refugees and for the Kurdish people. Last year, the Government of Flanders granted 400.000 euro of humanitarian aid to provide housing for refugees, especially in the Gawilan camp. As Minister of Planning, dr. Sindi played a central role both in providing aid to the refugees and in combatting ISIS.
The Kurdish delegation visits Flanders from 30 August till 1 September. Apart from a discussion with Economy Minister Muyters, their programme includes a meeting with Red Cross Flanders, which is active in Kurdistan, a visit to the Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research (ILVO), and contacts with enterprises and European institutions.
Minister-president Geert Bourgeois: “Together we will look into the possibility to extend commercial ties and broaden societal cooperation. This benefits the situation in the Middle East in general, since the Kurds are an important factor of stability in the region. “
Watch the interview with minister Sindi on De Redactie (31/08/2016)
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