“On occasion of the passing of former US President George Bush Senior, I convey my condolences to his family, especially to his Excellency, former US President George W. Bush, and his friends," read a statement from the office of the prime minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) on Sunday.
George H.W. Bush, the 41st president of the United States, passed away at his home in Houston, Texas, on Friday. He was 94 years old.
"At this difficult time, I share their grievances. May God console everyone," added the statement.
Wednesday will be a national day of mourning in the United States. A state funeral will be held at the Washington National Cathedral after he lies in state at the US Capitol.
“The Kurdistan nation has great respect and appreciation for the main role played by President Bush Senior in 1991 in establishing no-fly zone in the Kurdistan Region and protecting the people of Kurdistan from the oppression and hostilities of the Baathist regime," stated Barzani.
The enforcement of the no-fly zone was critical in setting the conditions for the establishment of the KRG and what would become the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
“President Bush Senior will forever remain alive in the memory of the Kurdistan nation," added Barzani.
Predating the KRG, the two largest parties in the Kurdistan Region — the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan — long had ties with the US government.
The United States is building its largest consulate complex in the world in the Kurdistan Region's capital of Erbil. The KRG has a representation office in Washington, D.C.
Diplomatic, business, military, humanitarian and education relations between Erbil and Washington are frequent and have increased since the toppling of the Baath regime in Iraq in 2003.
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via Defense News
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