sentences:  Barzani became a member of the Iraqi Governing Council and was the president of the council in April 2004.He was elected as the President of Iraqi Kurdistan by the Parliament of Iraqi Kurdistan in June 2005.As President of the Kurdistan Region, Barzani has made official visits to several countries and met dignitaries of the likes of US President George W. Bush, UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, the Pope at the Vatican, the Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi in Rome and King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh.