By AGI, 9 novembre 2011
The situation of the Christians in Iraq will be the main theme of tomorrow's meeting in Rome between the Foreign Minister Franco Frattini and the President of Kurdistan Massoud Barzani.
In particular, the Italian Foreign Affairs Minister will ask Barzani to reaffirm the protection of the religious minority by the authorities. Italy has been developing several initiatives in favour of Iraqi Christians, carried out by the General Direction for Development Cooperation of the Foreign Affairs Ministry.
A clinic in Erbil and a hospital on the southern border of the autonomous region, in a plain inhabited mainly by Christians, are among them. The clinic is situated in the new Christian quarter and will take care of the medical needs of the minority, but its services will also be used by the rest of the city population. The hospital will specialize in the treatment of Thalassemia, a disease very common in Iraq as a consequence of intermarriage, a widespread practice in the country. A new credit line for agriculture development in Iraq will also be discussed at the meeting. Competitive tender notices for the purchase of machinery (part of which will go to Kurdistan) were launched over the past few days. Others will follow in the coming weeks.
The situation of the Christians in Iraq will be the main theme of tomorrow's meeting in Rome between the Foreign Minister Franco Frattini and the President of Kurdistan Massoud Barzani.
In particular, the Italian Foreign Affairs Minister will ask Barzani to reaffirm the protection of the religious minority by the authorities. Italy has been developing several initiatives in favour of Iraqi Christians, carried out by the General Direction for Development Cooperation of the Foreign Affairs Ministry.
A clinic in Erbil and a hospital on the southern border of the autonomous region, in a plain inhabited mainly by Christians, are among them. The clinic is situated in the new Christian quarter and will take care of the medical needs of the minority, but its services will also be used by the rest of the city population. The hospital will specialize in the treatment of Thalassemia, a disease very common in Iraq as a consequence of intermarriage, a widespread practice in the country. A new credit line for agriculture development in Iraq will also be discussed at the meeting. Competitive tender notices for the purchase of machinery (part of which will go to Kurdistan) were launched over the past few days. Others will follow in the coming weeks.
