Barzani tells Chaldean Patriarch Christians are core component of Kurdistan

ERBIL, Iraq — Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani said on Tuesday that Christians are an original part of the Kurdish people and that he will continue to safeguard their rights. Barzani made the remarks during a meeting in Erbil with Patriarch Mar Louis Sako, head of the Chaldean Church in Iraq and worldwide. According to a statement from the Kurdistan Region presidency, the talks covered the situation of the region's components, with a focus on Christians, and the preservation of a culture of coexistence among different groups in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq. Barzani said the Kurdistan Region would remain a homeland and refuge for all components without discrimination and would protect its culture of pluralism. Patriarch Sako said the Kurdistan Region is a safe refuge for all religious and national components. He thanked Barzani for his continued role in supporting the rights of the region's components, the statement added.