Shafaq News/ The President of Iraq's region of Kurdistan, Nechirvan Barzani, received the head of the Kurdish Studies Institute in Berlin, Dr. Faryad Fazil Omar, in the region's capital city, Erbil, on Monday.

According to a readout issued by his bureau, President Barzani congratulated Dr. Omar for receiving the "Order of Merit" award from the Federal Republic of Germany last year, commending the achievements of the Kurdish communities in the Diaspora.

"The President also appreciated Dr. Omar's services in the academic field, Kurdish language, literature, and culture, and wished him success," the readout said.

Dr. Omar expressed his appreciation for President Barzani's gesture, and pledged to continue promoting the Kurdish language and culture.

Feryad Fazil Omar is a renowned literary scholar, linguistics specialist, Kurdish author, and former Kurdish instructor at Freie Universität Berlin.

He was awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany on December 21, 2022.

The human rights activist was nominated for the award by the Executive Vice President of Freie Universität Berlin, Professor Verena Blechinger-Talcott.

Ulrike Gote, Senator for Higher Education and Research in the State of Berlin, presented Feryad Fazil Omar with the distinction.