MEP Stevenson praises Kurdistan for protecting refuges

By Roni Alasor / Lorin Sarkisian

Brussels, 6 February 2014 - Ararat News (ANP) - Speaking in the European Parliament (EP) in Strasbourg, MEP Struan Stevenson from United Kingdom said that Europeans have to thank Federal Kurdistan government and President Masaoud Barzani for the efforts of Kurdistan to protect hundreds of thousands of Christians, Turkmen, Shabaks and other ethnic refugees who fled to Kurdistan. Only since last year, there were 230.000 men, women and children fleeing from the bloody civil war in Syria to Kurdistan.

Despite the suffering of the Kurds under Saddam Hussein when over 180,000 were massacred in the genocidal Al Anfal campaign, nevertheless they have maintained a tradition of welcoming and sheltering refugees, whom they regard as their brothers and sisters in need”, pointed out Stevenson, who is chairman of the Delegation for Relations with Iraq in EP.

Moreover, MEP Stevenson urged EU to open EEAS Consular Office in Erbil, as President Barzani suggested during his visit in EP Foreign Affairs Committee two weeks ago.