Kurdistan participates on key issues in Munich Conference: Masrour Barzani

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – The importance of the Kurdistan Region in the world is demonstrated by the participation of its delegation in the annual Munich Security Conference (MSC) in Germany, a senior Kurdish official said on Saturday.

The delegation has met with many world officials on the sidelines of MSC. Its members are the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region Nechirvan Barzani, Chancellor of the Kurdistan Region Security Council (KRSC) Masrour Barzani, head of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Department of Foreign Relations (DFR) Falah Mustafa, and the Chief of Staff to the Kurdistan Region Presidency Fuad Hussein.

In an interview with Kurdistan 24, Chancellor Barzani stated that, through the delegation, Kurdistan has participated in the conference on two crucial issues, diplomacy and security.

He added that he has spoken to multiple world intelligence and security officials about pressing global challenges, and that further meetings are scheduled.

According to Barzani, members of the Kurdistan Region delegation held crucial meetings with high level Iraqi officials as well, including Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi.

“In the meeting, Mr. Abadi spoke of Baghdad’s readiness to resolve some of the disputes between Erbil and Baghdad, and expressed a strong will to ease tensions between the sides,” Barzani said, and explained that more time was still needed to address all the issues at hand.

He noted that the Constitution of Iraq should be the basis to resolve all the disputes between the KRG and the Iraqi Federal Government.

“We will wait to see whether or not they will implement the promises made today,” the Kurdish Security Chief added.

When asked about the international flight ban, in which Baghdad demanded airports within the Kurdistan Region be shut down as a result of the Sep. 25 referendum, Barzani explained that the subject was indeed discussed during the meeting with Abadi.

“They have expressed a willingness to open the airports after some remaining technical issues are resolved,” he said, adding the KRG has made suggestions to facilitate the process.

Relations between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the Iraqi government drastically deteriorated imediately following the Sep. 25 referendum in the Kurdistan Region, which saw overwhelming majority favoring statehood.

Editing by John J. Catherine