When Poland joined the American-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, it wanted to have responsibility for the northern parts of the country including Kurdistan Region, mostly due to the security of the region. Eventually, Poland acquired responsibility for the Multinational Division Central-South (Polish zone in Iraq), but good relations with Kurdistan Region became a result of the Polish involvement in the war. In the first years after Kurdistan Region achieved autonomy in 2005, Poland had a careful policy towards the region, for the sake of Iraqi territorial integrity and the good relations to Baghdad. Nevertheless, this policy slowly changed with the opening of a Polish consulate in 2012, but can still be seen in the lack of military support for Kurdish soldiers (Peshmerga).[6]
^While Kurdistan Region refers to the autonomous Kurdish region in Northern Iraq, Iraqi Kurdistan is a geographical term referring to the Kurdish area of Iraq