05/10/2021 Kurdistan Iraq (International Christian Concern) –  Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani met with the Vatican ambassador to Iraq, Ambassador Mitja Leskovar, and announced that the rights of Christians would be protected in the upcoming constitution.

In a statement, President Barzani said, “Christians are an integral part of the Kurdistan Region and play a significant role in serving, building, developing and fostering a culture of coexistence in the Kurdistan Region. Guaranteeing the rights of Christians and other ethnic and religious groups will be protected in the new constitution that is being prepared.”

The Kurdistan Region currently operates under agreed-to laws and norms. The Parliament, which began drafting a constitution in 2019 that later stalled, restarted its work to build a constitution at the beginning of April.

President Barzani’s meeting with Ambassador Leskovar comes after he previously met with Pope Francis during the pontiff’s historic visit to Iraq. The Vatican has expressed thankfulness over the Kurdistan Region’s acceptance of Christian IDPs around the time of ISIS. The Nineveh plains and northern Iraq is home to many of the country’s remaining Christians. Protecting their rights will continue to encourage the return of Christians to the region.

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