The matter has been discussed before, and a consensus has been reached on principle, Dizayi said. “There is no diplomatic or political obstacle in the way of opening a representation office,” he added. “There are just some technical issues that need completing, which I hope will be soon.”

The Kurdistan region is important to foreign countries for political, diplomatic, as well as economic reasons, Dizayi said.

Dizayi was part of a Kurdistan Regional Government KRG delegation led by President Nechirvan Barzani to discuss bilateral issues, security and economic issues in Ankara.

In Friday’s meetings, the delegation discussed with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu how to develop Ankara’s relationship with Iraq, particularly in the Kurdistan region, Rudaw said.

The delegation also met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday. Erdogan’s office refrained from using the word “Kurdistan” when announcing the visit, instead saying: “President Erdogan received Iraqi Kurdish Regional Administration President Nechirvan Barzani in the Presidential Complex.”

Barzani had met with French President Emmanuel Macron in Iraqi capital Baghdad and not the regional capital Erbil, due to a last-minute change of plans, Dizayi said. French foreign and defense ministers did visit the KRG capital.

“The region is changing greatly,” he said. “So the role of the Kurdistan region and its leadership rises in importance.”

Iraqi Kurdistan fought against the Islamic State (ISIS) with its Peshmerga military force and has been home to around one million displaced people, “allowing it to maintain its former strong position”, he said.

Turkey’s military operations in Iraqi Kurdistan territory continue, despite objection from Baghdad, because of the presence of the outlawed Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK) in the area, Dizayi said.

The PKK, which has been fighting for Kurdish self-rule within Turkey for almost 40 years and has its main base in Iraqi Kurdistan, “should respect the Kurdistan region and the Kurdish people’s gains, and withdraw its forces”, he said.

During his visit to Baghdad, Macron said France would support Iraqi sovereignty, in an indirect message to Turkey.

Reporter’s code: 50101