A delegation of German parliamentarians met on Sunday with their Kurdish counterparts in northern Iraq to discuss legislative means of furthering human rights in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region, dpa reported.
According to a statement from the Kurdish parliament, a delegation from the German parliament's committee on human rights and humanitarian aid led by former minister Herta Daeubler-Gmelin met with a group of Kurdish lawmakers led by Kamal Kirkuki, the deputy head of the Kurdish parliament.
The German delegation reportedly discussed legislative means of upholding human rights and monitoring abuses with their Kurdish counterparts.
In a statement distributed by the Kurdish parliament, Daeubler-Gmelin said she hoped the meeting would be the first of more direct contacts between the legislative bodies.
Kurdish lawmakers reportedly explained the procedures of the Kurdish parliament to the German delegation. Kirkuki, the statement said, spoke of the Kurdish parliament's efforts to build popular confidence in the government through its various subcommittees.