President Masoud Barzani met with Javier Solana, the EU's High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy, in the Council of EU headquarters in Brussels.

President Barzani and Mr Solana exchanged views on the recent developments in Iraq and in the Kurdistan Region, including preparations for the January 2010 general elections and other political and security developments in Iraq.

President Barzani also visited the EU Parliament where he briefed the EU Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee on developments in Iraq and in the Kurdistan Region, in particular Iraq's forthcoming elections, relations with Turkey, Kirkuk, oil supplies, and minority rights.

President Barzani was congratulated on making Iraqi Kurdistan the most stable area in Iraq, by Foreign Affairs Committee Vice Chair MEP Fiorello Provera, and MEPs Tunne Kelam and Ana Gomes, at Tuesday's joint meeting of the Foreign Affairs Committee and of the European Parliament's delegation for relations with Iraq.

In response to a question from an MEP about Kirkuk, President Barzani said ""Kurds were evicted from Kirkuk and became refugees in their own country. Kirkuk has become a symbol of oppression. "

On the stalled legislation for oil and gas and the disagreements between Erbil and Baghdad on sharing oil revenues, President Barzani stated that "the current 17% of national proceeds from the sale of Iraqi oil should go directly to the Kurdistan Region and not be paid via the federal authorities".

Some MEPs also asked the President about the protection of minorities in the Kurdistan Region. "All rights have been granted to these minorities and they also take part in local governments", he replied, adding that minorities are "free to study in their own language at school".

Concerning a couple of questions by MEPs about honour killings, President Barzani said that this "negative culture should be put to an end", although "it may take time some time to do away with it, as it is firmly rooted in the local culture".