"Kurdistan has the right to develop its own relations with nations irrespective of the Baghdad government. These ties are a guarantee for our future and we will never give them up," he added.

In a statement to Adnkronos International (AKI) Zebari said: "We met the representatives of various UN agencies in Rome, Geneva, Paris and London and it emerged clearly that the Baghdad leaders they had met had made no reference to Kurdistan's reconstruction needs, and that the Iraqi government has given no input to its ambassadors, ministers or delegations to do so," he said.

Regarding the planned opening of a UN office in Iraqi Kurdistan, Zebari said: The decision was taken some months ago and we are working hard to transfer some UN agencies to the region. "My European visit was aimed at accelerating the creation of a local office, given the stability and security that Kurdistan enjoy," he said.

Source: Adnkronos International