Kurdistan President Nechirvan Barzani meets Donald Trump in Davos

President Donald Trump began by stating that it is “great” to finally meet with President Nechirvan Barzani. “We’ve wanted to meet” for a long time. “We work together very well.”
kurdistan24.net

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) President, Nechirvan Barzani, met with his United States counterpart Donald Trump on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on Wednesday.

During their meeting, the two leaders spoke about bilateral relations as well as ongoing regional issues.

President Trump began by stating that it is “great” to finally meet with the Kurdish president. “We’ve wanted to meet” for a long time, he said. “We work together very well.”

Trump spoke briefly about the situation in Syria, especially following Turkey’s cross-border operation against the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) late last year.

“As you know, we left Syria from the standpoint of the border, and that’s worked out great with Turkey. They have the so-called safe zone,” he stated while thanking President Barzani for everything he has “done to keep it as safe as possible.”

“But, very importantly, as you know, we have the oil and we left soldiers for the oil because we took the oil and we’re working on that and we have it very nicely secured,” Trump added.

Indeed, the US reversed an initial decision to withdraw all troops from northern Syria and has kept at least 600 forces there to protect oil fields.

The US president also reminded that the Islamic State’s so-called caliphate had been “taken over 100 percent” in Iraq and Syria, as President Barzani noted that “we did defeat ISIS together.”

“We’ve had a tremendous relationship, and it’s great to be with you,” Trump concluded, shaking Barzani’s hand.

For his part, President Barzani thanked Trump for receiving the Kurdish delegation in Davos. “As you said, you know we’ve been waiting a long time for that moment [to meet]. Thank you for your leadership, thank you for your support,” Barzani said.

“On behalf of the people in Kurdistan, I would like to express our thanks and gratitude for your leadership and your support. Thank you.”

President Barzani was officially invited to attend the WEF from Jan. 21 to 24.

Aside from Trump, the Kurdish leader is expected to meet with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and several other world leaders, ministers, and high-ranking officials.

The WEF holds an annual meeting at the end of January. This year’s summit is titled “Stakeholders for a Cohesive and Sustainable World,” with a focus on pressing global economic, political, and security issues.

President Barzani is expected to deliver a speech during a panel on Thursday called “An Unsettled Middle East.”