Minister for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini considers fundamental and urgent the mobilisation of the entire international community in the protection of Christian and Yazidi minorities in northern Iraq. “We must protect Iraqi civilians and, in particular, the Christians and Yazidi being persecuted by ISIS”, she said, “and support the Kurdish Peshmerga militias in halting the advance of ISIS. For this reason, we agree with American President Barack Obama’s decision to intervene.
The international community must stand at the side of the Iraqi government and move to bring aid to the populations”, Mogherini continued. “Italy is already active in this. Deputy Minister Lapo Pistelli has just come back from Iraq and the Cooperation has earmarked one million euro, through WHO, WFP and UNICEF, for emergency assistance for the displaced, and to re-establish proper living conditions in areas inhabited by Christian minorities in the Nineveh Plain area under Peshmerga control”.
The foreign minister will have a telephone meeting this evening with Kurdish President Massoud Barzani.
