SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) Co-president Bafel Talabani on Friday congratulated native Kurd Nadhim Zahawi on his appointment as the new UK Secretary of State for Education.
Zahawi, whose star has risen during the pandemic as vaccines minister, was appointed on Wednesday as the British education secretary.
“My friend Nadhim Zahawi, I warmly congratulate you on your appointment as the Secretary of State for Education of the United Kingdom,” Talabani said in a message to Zahawi. “It is a great honor for Kurdistan and its beloved people.”
“Your endless efforts in the past towards national responsibilities and supporting the legitimate causes of our people are appreciated and praised by us,” Talabani added.
“As an old friend, I hope to see you successful in your new duty as always, and continue to serve tirelessly. Of course, working for the Kurdish cause and Kurdistan is to be your priority.”
Zahawi has been promoted by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson after winning plaudits over the efficient and fuss-free Covid vaccine programme, a style that may serve him well in an education sector, according to The Guardian.
Theresa May appointed him as a junior education minister and he was moved to become industry minister 18 months later, The Guardian reported. In late 2020 Zahawi was picked by Johnson to be the vaccines deployment minister – a high-pressure role given the enormous significance placed on the rapid distribution of vaccines as the government’s main weapon against coronavirus.
