The President of the Kurdistan Region, Nechirvan Barzani, met with Pope Francis on Thursday in Vatican City. During the meeting, President Barzani emphasized the importance of preserving and promoting peace and fraternity among Iraq's various communities.

He also presented the Pope with a painting by Kurdish artist Khairy Adam, which depicts people from the Kurdistan Region's diverse ethnic and religious groups participating in the traditional Kurdish dance of "Halparke."

The painting also showcases a mosque, a monastery, and a Yazidi temple in the background, emphasizing the strong interfaith relationships in the region.

President Barzani's visit to Italy and Vatican City also includes meetings with other high-profile officials, including Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani.

In a tweet following the meeting, President Barzani quoted the Pope as stressing the importance of preserving peace and fraternity among Iraq's communities. The President also reiterated his commitment to promoting peace and coexistence in Kurdistan, Iraq, and beyond.

Kurdish artist Khairy Adam, who created the painting presented to the Pope, explained that he chose Halparke to showcase the unity of the Kurdish culture. He further explained that his painting was designed to depict people from various religions and ethnicities in the Kurdistan Region, dancing together in harmony.

The historic visit of Pope Francis to Iraq and the Kurdistan Region in March 2021 was marked by his meetings with Ayatollah Ali Sistani and his holding of mass in Erbil, which was attended by 10,000 people.

Ainkawa, a Kurdish city situated on the northern edge of Erbil, became a refuge for thousands of Iraqi Christians fleeing their homes during the ISIS takeover of northern Iraq in 2014.

The attacks by ISIS decimated the Christian community in Iraq, and according to data from Erbil's Chaldean Archbishop Bashar Warda, the number of Christians in the country has dropped from over a million before 2003 to fewer than 300,000 today. Ainkawa has a significant Christian population, several churches, and a Catholic university.