Skip to main content
Novák Katalin és Abdul Latif Rashid iraki elnök

President of Hungary Katalin Novák met the President of Iraq

President of Hungary Katalin Novák - the first Hungarian President to visit the Middle Eastern country -also met Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid on Friday.

“We have just had an historic meeting with President Abdul Latif Rashid of Iraq, as no Hungarian President has ever visited Iraq before. We agreed with the President that the common enemy of our countries is international terrorism, and that we condemn all of its forms. Hungary’s commitment is shown not only in words, but also in deeds, as a major Hungarian military force participates in the fight against the Islamic State. – Katalin Novák writes about the meeting on her official Facebook page.

According to the information published by Sándor Palace, the presidential meeting also discussed the Hungary Helps Initiative, through which Hungary is actively involved in helping the most critical sectors and the most vulnerable groups, such as children, women and Christians.

"We are convinced that help must go where the trouble is," said Katalin Novák.

The President of Hungary and President Abdul Latif Rashid also discussed the war between Russia and Ukraine. They agreed that the parties should make peace as soon as possible, as the effects of the war reach everyone.

Later, Katalin Novák proceeded to Telskuf, a town that experienced the horrors caused by the Islamic State over the past decade. Many of the town's buildings and its church have had to be rebuilt, and Hungary has taken on a lion's share in the rerconstruction. As a mark of respect for our country, local residents refer to their settlement as "Telskuf bint al Majar", or "Telskuf, Daughter of Hungary". The Head of State also visited a local kindergarten.

Katalin Novák also visited the model farm in Telskuf, supported by Hungary Helps, and then met Lara Yussif Zara, one of the four female mayors of Iraq, at the Rabban Hormzid Monastery.

Later in the day, the President met with Nechirvan Barzani, President of the Kurdistan Region.