Kurdistan Region's partnership with GCC countries ‘continues to grow,’ says PM Barzani
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – In a meeting with the Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi in Switzerland’s Davos on Wednesday, Barzani said the Kurdistan Region’s partnership with members of the council continues to grow.
Barzani and Albudaiwi met on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum 2024.
“Our partnership with GCC member states continues to grow. This year, we opened new trade routes and strengthened political relationships,” Barzani wrote in a social media post shared on X platform, formerly Twitter.
The premier thanked the head of the council for standing with the people of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
During #wef24, I thanked GCC SG @jasemalbudaiwi for standing with the people of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
— Masrour Barzani (@masrourbarzani) January 17, 2024
Our partnership with GCC member states continues to grow. This year, we opened new trade routes and strengthened political relationships.
That’s the focus. pic.twitter.com/Geg0nfjTwu
Barzani’s cabinet has exported numerous agricultural products to several GCC members in the past years, including to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Bahrain. They include apples, honey, and pomegranates, among other products that are expected to be sent.
About 2,000 tons of pomegranates, mostly from Halabja, were exported to the UAE and other Gulf countries since last year.
Marketing and exporting domestic products are a core agenda goal for the Ninth Cabinet, its officials regularly say.
The vast majority of Kurdish potatoes are sought by Gulf countries and their international fast-food chains, such as KFC, McDonald’s, and Hardee's, which view both the quality and price of the product as unrivaled.