Shirawa Checkpoint... Reception for the Head of the Chaldean Church in Iraq and the World

Today, Sunday, June 14, 2026, Pshtiwan Sadiq, Minister of Endowments and Religious Affairs; Ano Jawhar, Minister of Transport and Communications; and Omed Khoshnaw, Governor of Erbil, received His Holiness Patriarch "Mar Paulos III Nona," Head of the Chaldean Church in Iraq and the World, and an accompanying delegation at the Shirawa checkpoint.
 

During the meeting, while warmly welcoming His Holiness the Patriarch and his delegation, it was emphasized that the capital Erbil has always been a refuge and an ancient, peaceful center for the coexistence of all national and religious components. Multiculturalism and tolerance have been an inseparable part of the historical and social identity of the people of Kurdistan in general, and the capital Erbil in particular.
 

It was also noted that the Kurdistan Regional Government views the rights and freedoms of Christian brothers and sisters and all components with great importance and actively promotes this atmosphere.

For their part, His Holiness the Patriarch and the accompanying delegation extended their thanks and appreciation, and that of the Chaldean Church in Iraq and the World, to the official institutions of the Kurdistan Regional Government for the reception.
 

They stated that the Kurdistan Region is a unique and beautiful example of harmony and tolerance at the regional level, and they highly praised the efforts of the Kurdish political leadership in protecting Christians and providing a safe environment for them.