British ambassador discusses UK-Kurdistan ties, security and political developments in Iraq

Stephen Hickey
kurdistan24.net

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Kurdistan 24 recently sat with Stephen Hickey, the United Kingdom’s new Ambassador to Iraq, to discuss UK-Kurdistan ties as well as the political and security situation in Iraq.

Hickey assumed his role as the new UK Ambassador to Iraq in September. During a trip to Erbil last week, Ambassador Hickey met with senior Kurdistan Region leaders before sitting with Kurdistan 24’s Ferhad Resul for an exclusive interview.

Kurdistan Region

Hickey expressed his astonishment at the “incredible progress that’s been made” in the Kurdistan Region since his last visit a decade ago.

“Just driving around Erbil, it’s very impressive to see all the development that’s happened on the economic side, and I’m very excited by the opportunities for trade and investment between the UK and [the Kurdistan Region] in the months ahead,” the British ambassador relayed.

He also discussed his recent meetings with senior Kurdish officials, labeling them as “very productive.” Hickey noted that the discussions focused on how the UK and the Kurdistan Region can work together.

He described the historical ties and cooperation between Kurdistan and the UK in various spheres, including politics, economy, and security.

“We talked about how we can strengthen our cooperation in the years ahead,” he told Kurdistan 24. 

Ambassador Hickey discussed his meeting with Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, expressing the UK’s support for “his attempts to reform the government, and to make the government more efficient and to deliver better for citizens.”

“We want to support that in every way that we can. At the same time, we also talked about the wider challenges in Iraq and how we can work together to tackle some of those.” 

Iraq

Ambassador Hickey noted that in his meetings with senior Kurdistan Region officials, they “discussed the political situation in Iraq,” adding he has “arrived in Iraq at an interesting time.”

Iraq has been engulfed in nationwide protests for nearly three months as protesters express their concerns against the country’s governing elite. Nearly 500 people have been killed in clashes between demonstrators and security, while some 27,000 others have been injured.

The British ambassador said he spoke with Kurdish officials “about that political crisis in Baghdad, and how we can work together to find a peaceful political solution.”

“We also touched on the wider regional picture. Of course, Erbil sits in the middle of a very interesting and dynamic region with many challenges, and so we discussed the regional situation and how we can work together to ensure that Iraq and [Kurdistan] are stable, prosperous, and democratic,” Hickey added.

Hickey also explained that Iraq is going through a very “important moment,” Hickey explained, and the UK wants “to help Iraq and Iraqis build strong institutions that can help make Iraq a safe, stable, and prosperous place for all Iraqis.”

Britain is working with both the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the Federal Government of Iraq to “try to overcome this current crisis and to find a solution that reaches a compromise between the demands of the protesters in Iraq and the government of Iraq.”  

The ambassador also affirmed the UK’s support toward the demands of Iraqi protesters, labeling them as “reasonable and legitimate” because the people are calling for better job opportunities, progress in the fight against corruption, and better services.  

“At the same time, we have been very concerned by the violence that has been used against the protesters. There are reports from the Iraqi Human Rights Commission and other human rights organizations that close to 500 Iraqi protesters have been killed since the beginning of October, and close to 20,000 have been injured,” Hickey stated, calling the violence “unacceptable.”    

The British ambassador mentioned his discussions with current Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi regarding the prevention of force and violence against protesters, and also “to conduct transparent investigations” regarding the killing of demonstrators, so culprits are held accountable.     

“There has to be the application of the rule of law both toward the protesters and toward the security forces.” 

When asked if Britain would offer Iraq advice on choosing the next prime minister, Hickey affirmed that “it’s for Iraqis to choose their prime minister—Iraqis alone. It’s not for Britain, it’s not for America, and it’s not for Iran to choose Iraq’s next prime minister.”

Erbil-Baghdad ties

During the interview, Ambassador Hickey was asked about the recent developments between Erbil and Baghdad regarding outstanding issues such as the oil file and the national budget share.

He said the UK welcomes “the progress that’s been made between the KRG and the central government in developing an agreement on the budget and on oil,” which will benefit both the Kurdistan Region and Iraq.

“Obviously, in Baghdad, we are going to see a new prime minister and a new government in place. We, as the UK, and the wider international community—I’m sure will be encouraging and supporting efforts to reach that agreement because I think if we can get an agreement between the KRG and the central government, this will be good for the stability and the prosperity of the whole of Iraq,” the ambassador added.      

Hickey also affirmed the UK’s support toward the KRG and its Peshmerga in the fight against the so-called Islamic State, calling on all sides not to “lose sight” of the terror group’s ongoing threat in the Kurdistan Region, Iraq, and neighboring Syria, adding that Britain would continue to work closely with Erbil and Baghdad against the threat.

The British ambassador also emphasized the need to prevent violence in Iraq from escalating into a sectarian fight.

“The priority has to be to introduce political reforms and economic reforms to meet some of the demands from the protesters and to de-escalate the tensions that currently exist, particularly the tensions between the protesters and the political elites.”       

Ambassador Hickey concluded by underlining the seriousness of abandoning the progress Iraq has made since 2003 by shifting from a democratic system into a presidential system of rule in Iraq, which some of Iraq’s political parties are pushing for.

“Iraq has experienced dictatorship and autocracy under Saddam Hussein, and I think Iraqis have learned from that experience, so I think we have to continue to help Iraq build this strong democracy,” he stated, stressing the need for the rule of law, strong institutions, and “having that connection between the demands of people – and protesters – and the political class.”    

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany