Catholicos-Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East Mar Awa III Royel and US Consul General Steven Bitner discuss Christian rights and investment in Iraq

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq — Catholicos-Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East Mar Awa III Royel welcomed the new US Consul General in Erbil Steven Bitner and his accompanying delegation to discuss key issues facing Christian communities in Iraq.

During the meeting, they addressed several common concerns, including the challenges facing Christians in Iraq and the need for official guarantees to protect the rights of the Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian people. These guarantees would ensure proper government representation and positions, as well as a secure environment for capital investment.

The discussion also included the upcoming parliamentary elections in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), set to take place next month. Both parties expressed concerns over the reduction of parliamentary seats allocated to Christians and other minorities, emphasizing the potential negative impact on minority representation.

Additionally, the meeting focused on encouraging Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian entrepreneurs to invest in the KRI, with the goal of fostering job creation and economic growth for their communities.