On Monday, Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani visited Pope Leo XIV in Vatican City and invited him to visit Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.

“I reaffirmed that Christians and all religious communities are not only an integral part of the Kurdistan Region’s history and identity, but continue to shape its future,” President Nechirvan Barzani said in a post on X.

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“I reiterated to His Holiness that protecting their rights, dignity, and peaceful presence in their ancestral homeland will always remain our duty.”

President Nechirvan Barzani reiterated to Pope Leo XIV “that protecting their rights, dignity, and peaceful presence in their ancestral homeland will always remain our duty.

“I expressed Iraq’s and the Kurdistan Region’s deep appreciation for the Vatican’s moral leadership and its important role in promoting dialogue and coexistence across the world,” he added.

Read More: President Barzani and Pope Leo Call for Peace and Stability

President Nechirvan Barzani also recalled Pope Francis’ historic visit to Iraq and the Kurdistan Region in 2021, and extended an invitation for Pope Leo XIV to visit Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.

During his visit to the Vatican, President Nechirvan Barzani also met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Holy See.

The meeting focused on strengthening relations between the Kurdistan Region and Iraq with the Holy See, as well as the political and security situation in Iraq and the condition of religious and ethnic communities in the country. Both sides emphasized the importance of continued dialogue and promoting the values of coexistence and tolerance.