GOVPH
MENU

PH Charge d’Affaires Meets with Iraq Kurdistan Parliament Speaker

BAGHDAD SPEAKER FAREED 1

Charge d’Affaires, e.p. Julius D. Torres (left) presents a token of appreciation to Iraq Kurdistan Parliament Speaker Vala Fareed (right). (Baghdad PE photo)

BAGHDAD 04 March 2019 – On the sidelines of the tourism and investment promotion in Erbil of the Philippine Embassy in Baghdad, Charges d’Affaires, e.p. Julius D. Torres met with Iraqi Kurdistan Parliament Speaker Vala Fareed on 21 February 2019.

Speaker Vala Fareed, the first-ever female to hold this prestigious post belongs to the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), which won the majority of Parliament seats in the elections on 20 October 2018. She warmly welcomed Charges d’Affaires Torres and noted that the he was the first diplomat who called on her since her appointment as Speaker.

Charges d’Affaires Torres congratulated her on her election as speaker, which was a major breakthrough for gender equality and women empowerment in the region.

In response to her query on how Embassy can elevate relations between the Kurdistan region and the Philippines, Charges d’Affaires Torres cited the Embassy’s plans to open a consular office in Erbil headed by an Honorary Consul and added that the tourism and investment promotion was another step along that direction.

Speaker Fareed pledged her support for the Embassy’s efforts and welcomed the plan to set up a Philippine Consulate in Erbil.

Also, present during the meeting was Second Deputy Speaker Mona Kahveci, a female lawmaker from the Turkmen Reform Party and the first woman from a non-Kurdish background to hold a senior post in the Kurdistan Parliament. END

BAGHDAD SPEAKER FAREED 2

Charge d’Affaires, e.p. Julius D. Torres (second from left) receives the plaque of the Parliament from Speaker Vala Fareed (second from right). Also present were Second Deputy Speaker Mona Kahveci (rightmost) and Mr. Falah Anwar Karur of the Hanzo Group of Companies (leftmost). (Baghdad PE photo)

For more information, visit www.baghdadpe.dfa.gov.ph, philembassybaghdad.wordpress.com or https://www.facebook.com/PHinIraq/.