Today, Dr. Haval Abubaker, the Governor of Slemani, received a delegation from Slemani and Kurdistan representing the 17th International Badirkhan Festival, which was held in Catanzaro, Italy. The festival was dedicated to the late General Sharif Pasha Khandan, a pioneer of Kurdish diplomacy.

The delegation included Mr. Hassan Yassin, Prof. Dr. Hersh Rasul Murad, Prof. Dr. Ibrahim Saeed Zmnako, and artist Zahir Sadiq. The visit aimed to present a certificate of appreciation and the festival’s award to the Governor of Slemani in recognition of his role as a primary supporter of the event.

During the meeting, the delegation conveyed messages from the festival supervisors (Dr. Jassim Tawfiq Khoshnaw, a university professor in Italy; Hamid Abubaker Badirkhan, head of the Badirkhan Academy for Journalistic Research and Culture; and Faisal Khoshnaw, head of the Diaco Organization), as well as the President of the Province of Catanzaro, Professor Nicola Fiorita.

They shared several proposals from the festival, noting that the Mayor of Catanzaro—based on a proposal by Prof. Dr. Hersh Rasul and Dr. Jassim Khoshnaw—has expressed his readiness for a “sister city” agreement with Slemani. Furthermore, through the presentation of official historical and legal documents, it was confirmed that the late General Sharif Pasha Khandan was buried in that city on December 22, 1951.

Additionally, Prof. Dr. Ibrahim Saeed Zmnako proposed that December 22, the date of General Sharif Pasha Khandan’s passing, be officially designated as “Kurdish Diplomacy Day.”

The Governor of Slemani reaffirmed his appreciation and support for all the participations, initiatives, and worthy proposals presented.