James Clorley, the British Foreign Office's Adviser for the Middle East and Africa affairs, issued a statement describing his country's relations with the Iraqi Kurdish region as very close and emphasized Britain's continued support for the Kurds and the Kurdish region in the north of Iraq.

Releasing a statement on the anniversary of the implementation of the UN Security Council resolution and the establishment of a no-fly zone in northern Iraq to prevent Saddam Hussein's regime's attacks on the Kurds, as well as recalling Saddam Hussein's chemical attack on Halabja, a city in the Kurdish region, he described the Kurdish resistance against that regime as exemplary.

Welcoming the recent agreement between the Kurdistan Region and the Iraqi central government on the budget, the British advisor expressed hope that the situation in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region would improve and they would overcome Covid-19.

Noting that the British Consulate in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region, is larger than many of British embassies in the world, he called Britain a friend of the Kurdistan Region and stressed Britain's commitment to supporting the Kurdistan Region, especially training Peshmerga forces.

Appreciating the role of the Kurdish forces in the fight against ISIS, the British official announced the permanent presence of the British military team in the Kurdistan Region to train Peshmerga forces in modernizing and reforming the forces.

He stressed on the need to deepen bilateral cooperation between the Kurdish region and Britain in the future.

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