Greece has expanded its bilateral relations with the Kurdistan Region in North Iraq with the opening of a Consulate in the capital Erbil and the arrival of Consul General Efthymios Costopoulos.
On Sunday, the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region Nechirvan Barzani received the frist Greek Consul General in the region and discussed bilateral Greek-Kurdish relations, diplomatic, cultural and business ties.
PM Barzani said that the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) values its relations with Greece in all sectors and stressed that there are opportunities in the Kurdistan Region for Greek companies and investors.
A statement from the prime minister’s office said that the new Greek Consul General Efthymios Costopoulos said that his country hailed “Kurdistan Region’s culture of coexistence and its reception of refugees and IDPs.”
The Kurdish prime minister said that he supports development programs in the Kurdistan Region and across Iraq.
This comes, according to the Greek envoy, after the renovation of a representative office in Erbil to Consulate-General by the end of last year.
“I am very proud to open the consulate and be the first Consul-General of Greece in Erbil,” Costopoulos said adding “this was the decision that was taken because we believe our relations with the Kurdistan Region of Iraq are very important.”
Greece has for a number of years maintained a trade and consular office in Erbil and recently opened a consulate in the Kurdish capital, after its renovation that concluded last year.
