Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani delivered a keynote speech at the Middle East Peace and Security Forum (MEPS) that was held at the America University of Kurdistan, focusing on the myriad challenges facing Iraq and the Kurdistan Region amidst regional escalations.
Highlighting the critical escalation in regional conflicts, President Barzani stressed the global repercussions of local events, using the Israeli-Hamas conflict as an example of how regional instability impacts global security. He emphasized the urgency of Iraqi and Kurdish responsibility to avoid entanglement in these conflicts.
“In these circumstances, it is imperative for us in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region to address this situation with utmost caution. Under no circumstances should we allow Iraq to become embroiled in this conflict and further complicate matters. This would exact a heavy toll,” Barzani said.
Barzani reiterated the importance of the internationally supported two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, advocating for a peaceful approach over the continuation of hostilities. He called for global unity to end the war and establish two independent states, stressing that only through peace can lasting solutions be achieved.
“In order to progress, it is imperative that Iraq achieves stability. The current situation calls for a shift in focus towards Iraq becoming a space for resolving the problems that its people face, rather than perpetuating the conflicts and complexities of the surrounding region,” he added.
It should be noted that Kurdistan Region of Northern Iraq is democratic, peaceful and politically stable, and a valued contributor to the peace, stability, and the well-being of Iraq and the Middle East. His nation has been in long fight for their national rights, but Barzani has ensured that this objective has only been pursued via peaceful means.
Furthermore, he promoted religious and ethnic diversity, and coexistence. To support this policy institutionally, when he was the KRG Prime minister, he established specific departments in the Ministry of Endowment and Religious Affairs to address the needs of the Region’s major religious communities.
Nuri Osman, Advisor to President Nechirvan Barzani, has a long history of working with him, and he emphasised that the president has a reputation of always advocating for a peaceful solution.
“Since I have worked with him, I always hear peaceful solutions being put forward by him,” Osman said in an interview with London Insider.
“He always calls for peaceful efforts to solve issues via dialog and to follow the constitution in new Iraq. Whenever he is involved in any dialog, people here in Iraq and Kurdistan know that the matter will end peacefully.
“With regards to the conflict between Israel and Hamas, President Barzani is advocating for solving the matter peacefully, based on international laws, as he tries his best to ensure that Kurdistan and its people are not a part of the conflict,” Osman concluded.