The ACSYA Inc. Holds High-Level Meeting with the Iraqi Ambassador to Australia

CANBERRA, ACT, AUSTRALIA – A delegation headed by Stella Kina, newly appointed President of the ACSYA Inc. arrived today, Wednesday, 14 September 2022, to the nation’s capital. Executive members of the ACSYA Inc. met with His Excellency, Dr. Basim Hattab Al-Tumma, the Iraqi Ambassador to Australia. The objective of this meeting was to discuss a number of key issues regarding the state of Assyrian cultural heritage in Northern Iraq.

The agenda items for this meeting consisted of the following: the deepening concerns regarding the controversial Makhoul Dam and its cultural, environmental, and social impact in the region— particularly to the Assyrian city of Ashur (a UNESCO World Heritage site) —as well as the current waste management system in the city of Mosul and its detrimental impact on Nineveh’s ancient city walls. The delegation also raised concerns surrounding the ongoing conflict between Turkey and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

The ACSYA Inc. will continue to engage with and maintain an on-going relationship with the Iraqi Embassy in Australia’s capital to prioritise the conservation of cultural heritage, campaign for human rights, and advocate for the equitable representation of Indigenous Assyrians in the Middle East.